Monster
by FooFoo901
Summary: When Redheart the newly made warrior is captured by twolegs after a battle with WindClan the ThunderClan cat must find her way home. She has to deal with the side effects of being experimented on illegally first though. Rated M for paranoid and future chapters of gore! I suck at summaries :D I also had the font all nice and tidy and fanfiction got rid of my nice things like indents
1. Chapter 1: Captured!

Can't control self... No. Blood.

Going by scent alone... Smell. Blood!

Teeth extending, paws forcings down prey... Throat. _**Blood!**_

Need more now! Need more blood, must feed the monster inside! Can't control self...

I blacked out. My body continued to walk without my permission, searching for more blood. I remember a sick slicing sense between my claws in my sleep. I was a monster who couldn't control myself most of the time, and I have created other monsters too. I wish I could stop.

It all started when I was found by twolegs. It had been a horrible battle between my clan and WindClan, ThunderClan which was my home had lost badly. We were all limping home and I had stopped to take a breather. Soon everyone was out of site and I continued on my way, when out from the sky a cage landed on me!

I got a horrible feeling something bad would come from all this. The cage, with me in it, was scooped into the air by sick smelling twolegs. They walked weird for them to, with odd limps. They gave me to a confident looking guy who drove me for hours on end.

They didn't bother to feed me, or water me. We just drove for three days while I slowly bleed out in the back. Finally we arrived at a white twoleg den, and he took me inside. They patched up my wounds super well, a little too well, it scared me. After they healed me they gave me water, but still no food. I remember the water having a tangy taste to it, which I found to be the strangest thing there.

When I went to sleep moments later I didn't wake up for a long time, and when I did I saw things being stuck in my body and I passed out again. I didn't pass out from fright, those things in my body where pumping liquids in me. I stayed under for a long time. To my disappointment I never dreamt about StarClan, where were they? Where was my clan?

When I woke up I felt different, I was different. I looked down and saw nothing different though, besides that all my scars from past battles had gone. They placed me in a cage with a tom cat who seemed off. When I attempted to speak to him and question him he never replied. Just would stare, until the twolegs shocked him with a stick, then he attacked me.

As his claws hit my face I remember what happened so clearly, on that horrible day. I transformed into something else. My blood started pumping, my vision went red, my fangs unsheathed easier than my claws. I struck back and pinned the scrawny tom down. I hissed at him then drank his blood.

It was so horrible but I loved it. Every last drop. The twolegs apparently liked this those, because they cheered. A green thing passed between two, and I sat there confused. _Who are they? _I wondered, _why do they do this?_ Well soon I would find out I was just there for their profit, but I wouldn't have that, I would escape.

My name is Experiment# 2445867. My path of experimentation, survival. Over the course of, well, however damn long they please, they will experiment on me. I got this information from the cat next to me. I am also a green, which means I am non-hostile to humans and don't cause trouble. That is good I hear.

There are four colors. Green, which are the nice animals who don't fight our human overlords. Yellow means that sometimes we clawed them, or would bite, a little trouble. Orange were those who were very hostile and would take chunks out of twolegs given the chance. Red, there weren't many marked red, they killed multiple twolegs and cause much trouble.

I was also marked with two tallies on my cage, showing that I had venom. I laughed at the tom next to my cage. "Venom in a cat? You're crazier than what has been happening!"

"Tell me your story then, how did you get here?" He asked.

"While my clan, ThunderClan, had just finished getting beat by WindCla-"

"Woah woah, what?" He meowed, "What are these, clans?" He asked.

I looked at him and remembered, not everyone here was from my forest. "The clans," I bagan, "are these four groups of cats. There is ShadowClan, they hide in the shadows and sneak around. ThunderClan, we are the strongest! WindClan, the fastest. RiverClan, they can swim. We all live in one bIg forest with our own territories. For each clan there is a leader, there name ends with 'star' because they get nine lives from StarClan. There is also one medicine cat, and medicine cat apprentice per clan to heal us. They communicate with StarClan.

"Well, after fighting a WindClan patrol over territory I paused on the way home. My wounds were bad and I needed to take a breather. As I was resting the mangy twolegs captured me! I bleed in the back of there monster for days. They brought me here and healed me though, then they made me fight a cat and..." I trailed off, terrified by the memory?

"And?" He prompted.

"Drank his blood." I whispered mortified. "I killed in cold blood, I am a horrible warrior!" I cried out.

He looked at me in sympathy. "Shh, no, he would of killed you first! Being a good warrior is protecting yourself from those who kill you first!" He tried to assure me.

I looked at him with slight disgust. "You have no idea what a true warrior is, or about the warrior code!" I said. "A warrior never kills in cold blood, and you always protect the clan."

He shook his head. "You come from a world of crazy. What's with this StarClan? It seems important to you."

"They are our warrior ancestors, they watch down on us and guide our paws. They give us the warrior code, and we go to StarClan when we die, they live in Silverpelt." I replied proudly.

"Oh, so they are a religion thing, sounds nicer than most if all you have to do is defend your clan. Territory is territory." He meowed.

"More then that!" I protested. "We have to feed the clan too, and we have elders and queens. Kits, elders, and queens always come first."

"That is very morally right." He purred. "In the city it is every cat for themselves. Oh and my name is Johnny."

I grinned, and since I got there I felt happy. "Hullo Johnny, call me Redheart."

Just then the door opened and a twoleg stepped out. He feed the others around us, and some of them weren't fed normal cat food. Blood or glop went into their cages. To my horror, blood also went into my cage. Even after the twoleg left I sat in the far corner, hissing at the blood bag.

Johnny looked at me with sympathy. "Well Red, looks like they want you to be a fighting cat to, which is there side hobby. If they aren't experimenting on us, it's forcing us to fight. Only lucky ones get to breed, well I think its lucky." He shook his head.

"Redheart." I said automatically, my eyes never leaving the blood bag. "We don't shorten our names back home."

"Ok." He said doubtfully, like he would ever use my full name.

We just sat there talking for hours, we didn't talk about the lab, but what lay outside it. We didn't just talk about our old homes either, we talked about places we had heard of. We talked because it was the one nice thing you could do there besides sleep. But as we talked a fog in my head had entered. It creeped up slowly, but soon my mind was spacing and my throat was burning. Talking became difficult.

"Hey, are you ok?" Johnny asked.

"Water." I croaked. "I need water!"

Of this he seemed doubtful. "You got a blood bag, sometimes cats just need blood. Its from being experimented on."

I cringed. "Don't want!" I cried, but my mind became foggier. Soon my vision changed. Before me stood prey, no longer was it Johnny my new buddy.

I lunged forward and snarled, saliva dribbled down my jaws. My face hit the metal before me and my prey jumped backwards, taunting me. It taunted me! I stepped back and let loose a blood curling yowl, then looked around wildly. There! Prey that was slain! Fresh for the taking, mine!

I pounced on the bag, exploding it, then lapping the insides greedily. So delicious, I needed more... No wait, I didn't. I needed to calm down. I stopped and returned to normal. Around me was blood, it had exploded from the bag, and in the cage next to me Johnny sat cowering, and I cried.

What had I done!? My new and only friend in this Dark Forest of a place was afraid of me. He stopped trembling though, and confronted me.

Walking back next to me he meowed, "Shh shh, its ok. You just scared me, but the twolegs make sure the metal always hold."

"Its not okay though." I whined. "You didn't know how I saw you, how I saw the blood bag. You weren't Johnny my friend, you were Johnny the prey. That blood bag wasn't a bag, it was killed prey, mine for the taking."

He put a paw on the metal web between us. "I know what I looked like, there where others before you who were like you. Blood, that is all you need though, so its ok. The twolegs will give you plenty of blood." He grinned. "Besides, no harm no foul."

I grinned shakily and put my body next to his, our fur touched between the metal web. We slept like that for a few hours before a twoleg grabbed him. I jumped up, no they were taking away _my_ Johnny! I hissed.

Johnny looked down at me and shook his head. "Be right back." He promised.

That left me worried. I paced the floor, could I make new friends without him? All the cats here seemed beaten or brainless, or concerned about themselves. Would I find myself slipping into the depression that they lived in? Was that the only type of cat here in the green room? Maybe that was why they were here, because they were to lifeless to rebel!

I continued to pace until my stomach growled, then I looked at my still blood splattered cage. Could I like the dry blood off the wall before the fog set in? If Johnny came back I didn't want him coming back to me crazily lunging at him. Most of my questions were answered when Johnny came back 30 minutes later and I was picked up.

He seemed fine and was going to greet me, but he quickly became worried when I was picked up. "Just don't fight the twolegs!" He yowled as I left.

I kept the warning safe in my mind as they carried me past a table and into another room. This room held a pen with tall metal webbed walls. The twolegs opened a door and threw me in, then closed the door. I spun around and ran towards the door. I wanted out! I knew something bad was going to happen in here, but I was meet with the shock stick.

A new smell hit my nose and I turned around. Before me stood another cat, but something about his smell made me wary. He smelled delicious. The twolegs also used a shock stick on him, propelling the cat forward, but he didn't attack her. They just sat there staring.

Finally he spoke. "They will make us fight, are you willing to lose?"

"No, but I am not willing to attack." I replied.

"I can wait, thats how I win." He smiled and he looked haunted by past deeds.

That was probably how he won past fights. "That must be horrible, to only win when forced." I meowed.

"It is…" He now seemed wary of her. "The twolegs should of shocked us by now. What did they do to you?" His question was almost angry.

"I don't know, they healed me that was it." I lied. Something in my gut told her to lie, to tell him that when I became mindless when hungry was bad. "They do anything to you?"

"Nothing!" He laughed hollowly. "I just need to survive!" He continued his sad laughter.

All the while the fog had come again. Slowly it built around her brain once more, and a spark was again in my throat. I coughed once, wishing it away, and the twolegs got excited.

The sad tom sensed something coming. "Hey, why you coughing?" He asked panicky.

I couldn't answer, just back up. I was slowly losing control again and my vision was playing tricks once more. "Run." I coughed and arched my back.

Alas though, there was no where for the poor tom to run, and inside I cried a little. My body lunged forward with the need to hunt, to kill, to feast. He cried out in pain as I pinned him down with brute strength and sunk my teeth slowly in his neck. I tried to resist, but I couldn't. The blood was mine! I sunk into a black part of my mind and lost all control.

Hours later I woke up in my cage. It had been cleaned thankfully, and so had I. Johnny was washing himself.

"So the cat awakes." He greeted me.

"Hey Johnny." I meowed with less enthusiasm.

He noticed the look in my eyes. "They made you fight?" He guessed.

I nodded, then thought. "When you got back from wherever you seemed just fine." I accused. "I am not sure I can be friends with a killer who likes it."

He puffed out his fur. "I really am surprised by that!" He spat. "For you to assume that some cat in here, the green room, likes killing! No, you grow used to it, because you can't not grow used to it when it always happens! As for me, I don't fight. I am a breeder."

I looked at him with washed out eyes. "Breeder?"

"I make kits." He explained. "They have few of us so they won't risk us in fights. Well sometimes we have to fight to mate, but I haven't been forced to do that… Yet." He meowed.

I sat up and began to clean my own pelt, it smelled like twolegs. "So you father kits into this place? It must be horrible to make kits to know they only wind up experimented on." I murmured.

He shook his head. "No, my kits will go someplace else. They have few breeders for a reason, few experiments are complete. Those that can pass the experimented gene on breed and the kits are sold. I am a no body, just a breeder here." Johnny didn't seem sad about this.

"A sad life. There is surely more than passing your legacy on to strange she-cats." I meowed.

"Of course there is, but I can't live that life. I am stuck here." He meowed. "Now before we were interrupted, lets finish that nap." He meowed and stretched near me.

I nodded and pressed against the metal webbing.

**I do not own WarriorCats, this is a disclaimer.**

**So, first chapter of Monster! Woooooooo. I hope this goes somewhere because this was made with the intention of not being a real story but just one chapter of this insane urge to kill but then I was like, "No, I read a story like that for warrior cats. I liked it, but I want something new!" So I did this because I haven't seen it before!**


	2. Chapter 2: Blood Disease

**So the second chapter. I am not happy with how fast it went but oh well, I wanted to get to the present. I promise when we get to the present I will slow down! And I apologize if I switch to third person, I always write third person, so this first person stuff is like, new. I try not to switch back and forth, promise! I also did most of this on ipad, sorry for the spelling errors.**

I woke up at what I could only assume was morning, if I could even think properly. My brain was fogged up again with the need for blood. I turned my head and saw something nice and warm pressed next to my cage. MY CAGE! It had made me very territorial.  
Growling I leaned over to give it a warning bite, and drink its blood. Once more though, the metal webbing stopped me and I growled in frustration.  
Johnny woke to this and saw my larger than usual fangs. He obviously said something but my mind was slipping and he was becoming more like prey again. "BLOOood." Came the unearthly hiss from my mouth.  
He got the point and sat in the corner farthest from me in his cage. I got up and sniffed around, drooling. From there it went fuzzy. I remember twolegs coming in, but they didn't give out food. Johnny claims they were watching how I acted, which was very territorial. They then proceeded to taunt me with a blood bag.  
After that it went black. I awoke to find myself covered in blood with the sense of victory slowly being replaced by horror. No, I hadn't slept, they stuck me in the fighting pen with some poor cat that I demolished. I stood over the mangled body of a now unrecognizable she-cat. With my stomach full the twolegs took me out of the fight room and placed me back in my cage next to Johnny.  
"They sent you into a frenzy." He said unhappily.  
"They made me a monster." I whispered.  
To this he did not reply. We just stood near each other, wondering, how our friendship would ever work if we escaped. I tried to keep hope though, maybe the twolegs can reverse what they had done to me. Finally I layed down next to him, I had been defeated.

"In a few days?" Came a somewhat familiar watery voice. "Bullies needed years, and they still haven't got you down! Spill a little blood, thats what I did back then! All cats do!"  
I opened my eyes and felt the wind whoosh into them. Wind, I hadn't felt that in what seemed like years! I jumped up and looked around, I was in StarClans hunting grounds!  
"So, what you gonna do about it?" The voice prodded.  
I look to my side and there stood my favorite dead elder, Brambleberry. "Brambleberry!" I squeaked.  
"Why in my day we wouldn't let no twoleg keep us for long!" He croaked.  
He was ancient and felt the need to remind everyone so, apparently even in StarClan. "Well Brambleberry." I meowed. "It is hard to escape…"  
"Hard, not impossible, now go make it possible!" He meowed, head butting me.  
"Nearly impossible."  
"Still possible, move those paws! And take a cat with you for goodness sake! Warriors have been trapped before, and they only survived with another cat at there side." He kept head butting me, trying to get me to stand up, so I did.  
It felt glorious being there, in StarClan, knowing my ancestors were still watching over me. I was filled with a certain power you can only get from your own religion. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, the air of the forest inspiring me. Urging me. I had to go home!

I woke up with a shining feeling in my chest. Today was my day, today was my day! Okay, well not today maybe, but it was time to start planning. So warriors have escaped before huh? They must of not been in my predicament, because escaping with a friend would be hard. There wouldn't be metal webbing between us.  
As I was hard in thought a twoleg came in and picked me up. He took me into a room that I could only assume was used for experimenting. he placed me on a table, and I felt something prick my leg. Blackness washed over my eyes and I went under.

When I woke up I was alone and my teeth felt… Strange. A wary twoleg walked in, he was covered in scratches. Before him he held a bottle. Quick as a snake his hand was on my neck and he was forcing my head near the bottle. He opened my mouth and forced me to bite down on the lid of the bottle. To my surprise my teeth popped out again and I felt something drip down them.  
I remember quickly that I was marked for venom. The twoleg took the bottle and ran out of there before I could claw him. No wonder he had so many wounds, I certainly didn't like that. I waited for the twolegs to act and do there strange things so I could get back to plotting my escape.  
They threw in another cat who just sighed. "I hate my life!"  
I eyed him warily. "Another battle?"  
"No, it is to see how you react with others. If I am unlucky and stupid, I am dead." He declared. "Sometimes they attack even if they don't want to. I have lived here nearly my whole life, I know this place and how cats act better than anyone else!"  
I flicked my tail. "Lovely to know."  
A minute later something was thrown between us. It look like food. Real regular food! We lunged forward at the same time.  
"Give it to me, they never feed me!"  
"It mine!" I snarled. I clawed him with an expert swipe and began to act very possessive of the meager food pile. For good measure I marked the area near it.  
Then I paused. This wasn't like me, that wasn't me! The real Redheart would split the food with the starving cat. Not hog it. "I-I'm sorry." I whimpered. "They only feed me blood, and… You can have it." I meowed.  
The cat eyed me. "Must of increased your hormones." He meowed and began to eat.  
"It isn't polite to talk about hormones with strangers." I scolded him.  
After the cat was done eating they still refused to let either one of us leave. I wanted out though, the fog was coming. "Run. They want me to feed soon." I gasped.  
He got the picture, I told him I fed on blood. He scampered to the other side of the pen while I sat there as the fog settled over my brain. Things turned red, and they were my prey. It had happened quickly this time, I didn't think that was good.  
When I looked at the other cat he was a moving blood holder. I hissed and my fangs popped out automatically. I needed blood! I slinked forward and my world began to turn black. No, I had to fight that! I had to be responsible, for a few seconds I stopped, fighting myself. I continued, but my body allowed me to stay conscious.  
I remember the feeling of drinking his blood, but not being able to drink much of it. The twolegs stopped me as he began to claw my face to make me let go. They threw a bag near me and retreated. After I was done feeding from that they set me back in my cage.  
What foolery were they up to? Johnny was there but asleep, so I let him sleep. I had to think. What was that, what I did? I fought the blacking out, I fought the need to blood. Maybe it wasn't all completely hopeless, escaping with a partner. If I could learn to control it completely though, and only if I could do that.

A day later I was brought back into the same pen, and to my surprise with the same cat. He seemed grumpy.  
"I'm sorry-" I began.  
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" He spat, cutting me off. "You know what they just fed me? Blood! You got venom alright, and it infects others!" He seemed furious.  
"Not my fault, it's the twolegs fault!" I yelled. "If it were up to me, I would still be in the forest frolicking with my clanmates!"  
"Well now you're here and infecting others with your venom!" He yelled back.  
We glared at each other for a little before sitting at separate places. We just sat there, waiting for something to happen. The twolegs would probably take us soon, we weren't talking to each other, or doing anything. We weren't doing anything to make them interested, why wouldn't they let us go!  
I knew why though, deep down, I knew that in a few hours the fog would set in, on both of us. We would turn into beasts, and then the fun would begin. "Ever turn into a monster?" I asked in a hollow voice.  
"No, but I saw you turn into a monster." He shoot back.  
I was unoffended. "Get ready." I laughed bitterly.  
So there we sat for hours. Him, squirming uncomfortably, and me, just sitting there like stone. He caught on thanks to me, and now he was afraid. Afraid of me maybe, I wasn't sure. He could've been afraid of becoming what I did just as easily.  
As the hours passed the sadly known fog returned. It settled into my brain, and into his for the first time. He didn't like it, and struggled. I let out a laugh. "Get ready."  
The world around me changed and my throat burned. I knew this too well, but I still couldn't control myself. I hated it, but let it happen, and it happened quickly. Everything was prey now, everything!  
I swung my head round and bared my teeth, one non prey. Threat? Going by mostly instinct I approached him. He was wild, to say the least. I growled and lunged into him, he swiped back. We fought for dominance, but my warrior training kicked in and I won. I jumped off and growled, now I needed blood.  
He wanted to help me hunt it seemed, so I let him. We sniffed every inch of that pen, but there was no prey. I heard a clicking noise then, and turned around. A medium sized dog stood before us, but I registered it as prey. Me and the other cat circled it like lions looking at a juicy zebra.  
This made the dog nervous, but it stayed strong. We were just cats, and it was a strong dog! Suddenly I lunged at the throat and clamped down, my long fangs helped me stay as the dog swung back and forth. My new buddy jumped onto the dogs back to distract his attention more. Together we quickly brought the dog down, and I continued gulping the blood.  
Since I had proven the more dominate one I got more blood, and when I was done drinking my fill from the throat wound I walked off. My new buddy was still drinking blood and in his more primal state. I cleaned my pelt and looked at myself with disgust. The fog had lifted from my mind quickly when I had drank some blood.  
I continued to eye the other cats while he drank noisily. He was as bad as I was, and I didn't know his name. When he started to regain control of himself I stood up.  
"My name is Redheart."  
"Dusty." He meowed.  
I figured he was called Dusty because of his short sandy colored pelt, though you couldn't tell its color for the blood covering him.  
The humans seemed pleased with us and they took me back to the cage quickly. Thing was, Dusty followed. They placed Dusty next to me then lifted the metal webbing. That didn't seem right. Our cages were connected.  
"So, made a new friend?" Johnny meowed.  
"She cursed me!" Dusty complained.  
Johnny didn't like that. "None sense! She didn't curse you, you nut."  
"I kind of did." I whispered. "My venom makes cats into something just like me. A blood sucking monster."  
"Damn right you are a monster!"  
"Hey no calling monsters!" Johnny protested.  
Dusty frowned. "We are stuck, this sucks.  
"Yes how observant of you." I snapped. "Johnny, I got a plan, and it is a long shot."  
"Tell me!" He meowed.  
"If I could learn to control myself long enough to attack the twoleg who feeds us I can kill it and release us!"  
Johnny thought about this. "Thats risky, and you don't seem to close to control.  
"I felt better in control with others like me, with Dusty when the monster came out, I felt more sensical." I pushed on. "I need to get home!"  
"Even if we do escape, how can you live next to others? You are a danger, I hate to say it." Johnny meowed.  
"I uh, will figure that out later. I still want away from these twolegs. Please, can we just go?" I pleaded. "Together, out of here?"  
He looked at me, strait in my yellow eyes with his blue ones. "Will you attack me?"  
"I- I don't know." My voice broke. "I can't do this without you though."  
"Is there anyway for you not to attack me?"  
I fidgited. "One that I know of." I admitted. "I remember not attacking Dusty because he didn't seem like prey. If I infect you with this monster curse I wouldn't hunt you."  
"A heavy price to pay for freedom, but I think you are the only one who can free us. Would you be insulted if I wanted to think?"  
"Not hurt one bit." I assured him. It was a life altering decision, he could have all the time he wanted.  
Dusty snorted. "What am I, mouse meat? I want in. If mister silver tabby there wont help you escape, I will."  
"Why would you?" I asked suspiciously.  
"Well I want out, I have been here since I was born. The genes didn't carry to me. I want to know of the outside, before this place kills me." He meowed.  
They seemed like legit reasons, and surely two would have better luck then three? I nodded, yeah he could come along. I snuggled up next to Johnnys cage and drifted off to sleep.

When I awoke Dusty seemed excited. "Come on!" He hissed. "We escape tonight!"  
I blinked in a daze, tonight? What? I shook my head to clear the fog inside it, but the fog wouldn't budge. Ugh come on, I needed a clear brain to attack the twolegs tonight...  
It locked inside my head and I growled hungrily. Dusty seemed to have his fog set in slower. I stumbled up, the fog was inside my head now, and my vision changed. Next to me was one non-prey. Blocked by the metal webbing was a prey. I wanted it but couldn't touch it. I yowled to the sky.  
Aggresivally non-prey pushed me, I pushed back with a snarl. He might of been non-prey but I was dominant! I lashed out with my claws, dearing him to take it a step forward. He seemed to accept my rule once more, time for blood now! Blood! I rammed the metal webbing, and again and again.  
Pause. Didn't I want different prey? Yeah, I wanted the tall prey. I drolled at the though of delicious blood running down my throat. A clicking sound, tall prey walks in. I want the fresh blood, non-prey can have it bagged. I growled.  
The top opens just a little... Yes it's enough! I launch myself at the next of tall prey. I bite quickly, sensing I must act fast. I gulp the blood greedily like a kit drinking milk. Blood was my milk. Tall prey had been hitting me, but quickly his hits weaken.  
Slowly as I drink I regain control of my mind. The twoleg falls over from the horrible wound in his neck. My fangs punctured deep, and he lost a lot of blood. Dusty had escape also and was at the wound now, drinking the last of the blood. He began to control his own body once more.  
I searched the twoleg for the stick that I saw him use to unlock cages. I picked it up and jumped up to Johnny. "Come with me Johnny. I don't want to do it with Dusty, he is bitter and will leave me. I need a true friend." I pleaded.  
Johnny sighed and looked at me, once more strait in the eyes. "Bite me."  
I freed him and when he jumped out I opened my mouth unsheathed my fangs. They came out with a slight pop and I released the venom. I don't know how I did it exactly but I went with what my body told me to do. I bit down and jumped away. The taste of blood lingered, leaving a delicious after taste that was maddening.  
"Lets go already!" Dusty yowled.


	3. Chapter 3: Forest Energy

**I am once more sorry for spelling errors, they just seem to happen more often on IPads. it isn't because my sister turned off the spell check either, I just am used to typing fast. So here is the third chapter! Enjoy, read and review please! I won't make a fourth chapter until I have 8 reviews. And what is up with Redhearts dream**

After much difficulty, and freeing a bear from somewhere else in the building, we got through the door.  
"Thanks Ruby, I hope you find your den!" I shouted after the bear. She truly was a nice bear. It was kind of her to break down the door so we could get out.  
"Now where?" Asked Johnny.  
"Now, to face the truth." Dusty said.  
"No, now to find a hiding spot. We are still in front of the twoleg place." I argued.  
"I like Redhearts idea." Johnny meowed. "We can talk and walk at the same time."  
We nodded agreement and headed out. It was a nice green-leaf day, and the prey knew it. There seemed to be no trees in sight though, just a bunch of tall yellow grass. The one twoleg building they were fleeing was like a beacon in the plain place. Mice rustled the grass stems though, hinting that if a cat ever grew hungry there would be plenty for him or her to eat.  
We had been walking for about half an hour when Dusty spoke up. He had stolen the blood bags and was carrying them. "I vote we give Johnny here a taste of his first blood."  
Johnny stopped surprised. "I'm not thirsty though!" He protested.  
"We just had something to drink too, and I want to keep moving. Just because you two have been trapped there for years doesn't mean you were always sitting on your lazy butts." I meowed. "Also, walk and talk at the same time? You wanted to talk about this 'truth' Dusty."  
We started forward again. "Yes." Dusty meowed. "The plain truth is, you two can't go back to your regular lives."  
This angered me. "Why not!" I demanded, though I knew why.  
"You know why, because you escaped from the lab, but not before they turned you into a blood crazed monster." Dusty meowed cheerfully, like he enjoyed breaking bad news to me.  
"You are enjoying this too much." I accused.  
"Johnny can't go back to the city unless he wants to infect or kill a cat everytime he fights. Unless you plan on using claws alone?" Dusty continued brutally.  
"I didn't like it there anyway, I planned on following Redheart." Johnny meowed stiffly. "Say Dusty, you haven't even hinted at your plans."  
"Haven't you noticed how this has increased our strength? Granted not a lot, but it increased our strength enough to make any cat think twice before tangling with us!" Dusty meowed eagerly. "I plan on following Redheart, I figured we could start a superior clan together."  
"You are insane Dusty!" I meowed. "I wouldn't let you be deputy, let alone leader. Oh, and where is this proof that we are stronger than the average cat?" I snorted.  
"Don't tell me you blacked out while fighting that dog!" He laughed. "We totally took it down, granted not before it swung you around like a chew toy."  
I bristled. I didn't like remembering my kills. I had done a lot of it since I went to the lab. "It seems," I meowed coldly, "that unlike you, I hate remembering my kills." And leaped forward, easily leaving the other two behind in the dust.  
I knew they were talking about me now, well let them talk. Soon they would tire because they had never walked long in there lives. No, maybe Johnny had walked long distances, but not Dusty. He had been born in the lab. Maybe that was why Dusty was so mean and friendless? The second he made a friend it was taken from him, that was how he acted.  
Still, we would have to stop soon, of that I was certain. I had a feeling Johnny had been stuck there for over four seasons. Being unable to walk a lot in that time would have decreased his stamina. Still, I would enjoy the silence until one of the weaker two would come run up and tell me they were tired.  
As I predicted, an hour later Dusty ran up. "Could we take a pause?" He panted. "I never walked this much in my life!"  
I nodded. "Sure. Maybe I can tell you stories about how much I walked when I was little." I meowed pleasantly.  
As Dusty walked back I studied our new surroundings. During the small walk trees had gradually began to appear. They were now easily spaced out, and we had our pick of shelters. I picked a large tree with odd roots that were perfect for sheltering us. After sweeping away the uncomfortables I settled down.  
The two cats appeared and joined me, looking a little better.  
"My stamina is not what it was." Johnny admitted.  
"I have none." Dusty declared. "This is like, all my lifes walking done in one day. I lived a very pathetic life before you came along, Redheart." He purred.  
I felt a little better at the thought of making someone's life better, and purred softly. We must of left around dinner time because the sun was starting to set. "Ever see a setting sun?" I asked Dusty.  
"Hell, I haven't seen a setting sun." Johnny interrupted.  
"Well, they are beautiful." I meowed. "Afterwards, we can enjoy the blood bags."  
They nodded agreement, and I put my unspent energy to use. I fixed up our temporary den, making it feel better. I put branches above us to block out any potential rain and I gathered things like moss for our bedding. When I was done I almost went out hunting, but stopped myself. No, tonight I drank from the blood bags.  
When I was done and the sun had set we gathered around the blood bags. "Where did you get the third one Dusty?" I asked. The twoleg only had two for us, I thought.  
"Oh, other cats in there drink blood too. I just took one of their bags, the twolegs will get them more."  
I sighed. "Ok then. We each get one, so dig in." I meowed unhappily and took one.  
Dusty grabbed his with great gusto and bit it open with a loud, pop. He greedily gulped the contents down then sat back satisfied. He seemed to enjoy blood, I wondered how he would react to hunting. He grinned at me, then frowned at the floor. A most curious thing.  
I gently made a small hole in my bag with my claws. I refused to be so messy, I quickly drank my meal, without the huge mess. "How come you insisted on being a pig?" I asked Dusty.  
"Blood is delicious." He declared.  
Johnny looked doubtful of that, he still hadn't touched his bag. "C-can I wait?" He mewed.  
"No Johnny." I said gently. "If you wait the fog sets in, that is bad."  
He still looked doubtful so I sat next to him. I dragged the bag closer and made a tiny slit, hoping the smell of blood would get him to drink. Unfortunately, that made Dusty thirsty to.  
"Redheart, if he doesn't want it-" He began.  
"Well he needs it, Dusty!" I snapped back.  
Johnny didn't like us fighting it seemed, for he said, "Don't fight guys! I am drinking it, see?" With that he finally drank the contents within the bag.  
The awkward moment passed and I sighed in relief. "Ok, from here on we hunt our blood!" I meowed.  
"Uh hunt?" Johnny meowed. "We didn't hunt often in the city, and Dusty was born in the lab. We don't know how to hunt."  
I nearly yelled at them, but I knew it wasn't there faults. "Ok then," I meowed, "I will teach you how to hunt."  
Dusty nodded. "I want to learn how to hunt, I don't want to live like how I did in the lab. Some stupid cat who never had a chance at a true life. Well night all!" With that he curled up to sleep.  
"I suppose we should sleep to." Johnny meowed, eyeing Dusty with dislike.  
"Yeah, I want to get up early. Before I teach you to hunt I want to hunt for us all, no chances with that mind fog."  
Johnny nodded and curled up to go to sleep. I stepped into my own nest, whiskers quivering with amusement. Two full grown male cats who couldn't take care of themselves, let alone hunt! With that funny thought in my head I slipped into blissful sleep.

"Doubt me did you? Well no, you were the smart kit who listened to her elders!" Brambleberry meowed.  
Taking it as a compliment I grinned. "Hullo to you to, Brambleberry."  
He only shook his head. "Dark waters rising, the dusty clouds of the desert are dangerous too. Beware!" He whispered and faded.

I woke up confused, to say the least. I felt this was something I should keep to myself though, it was just to weird a dream. When I looked beyond our makeshift shelter it seemed to be an hour or two before dawn, perfect time to hunt. I slipped out, stealthy as a mouse, and entered the forest.  
It was beautiful, the feeling I got just being out there. I felt energy re-enter my limbs and like a kit on my first time outside the camp I ran. I ran for the pure enjoyment of it, and knowing I was wild. I jumped high and batted the lowest branches, which were quite low. I ran fast, matching even the slowest rabbits. I was in a forest again!  
Finally I settled down and got to the serious buisness of hunting. I tasted the air and mouse hit the roof of my mouth. With my mouth watering slightly I got into a hunting crouch and moved forward on silent paws. When my prey was close enough I pounced and landed squarely on it, I killed it quickly.  
I burried it and hunted two more fine fat mice. I couldn't wait to have my friends eat there first mice! Happily I nearly skipped back to the den, but I managed to stay alert. For all I knew that while mouse scent clogged my nose, a fox might lay nearby. I was safe when I made it back though, and the sun was just starting to rise.  
"Wakey wakey." I meowed, confused to why they weren't up yet. Did they actually sleep in like kittypets every morning?  
"A little more longer." Johnny meowed.  
"What he said." Agreed Dusty.  
I frowned. "Boys, do you want your mice to get cold?" I asked. "No, we are sleeping on forest time. Up at dawn!" I insisted.  
Johnny moved reluctently while Dusty didn't move at all.  
"Mouse?" Asked Johnny, only semi-interested.  
"Yes. I assume you didn't have these in the city?"  
"We had a few, I had mouse once."  
That disappointed me, but I didn't let it show. "Well forest mice are better." I prodded Dusty harshly in the ribs instead. "Up." I commanded.  
He made a face and sat up. "I am getting there!" He complained.  
"Well, I know as a lab cat you never had a mouse before." I meowed. "And mice are delicious. Mice also have blood, in every yummy bite."  
I took a bite of my own mouse and purred. I prefered mouse over kittypet food any day! The blood was nice, and more noticeable, but I liked just being able to eat the mouse a lot more. I finished it off in a few neat bites.  
Johnny was half way through his. "I didn't remember the taste of it, this is amazing!" He meowed with a full mouth.  
Dusty didn't seem imperssed though. "I don't see why you think this tiny rodent would taste delicious." He meowed and went to take his first bite. To my satisfaction, a surprised look swept across his face. He seemed to really enjoy it, I could tell by how he devoured it after. "You have to teach me to hunt!" He pleadd.  
"Yes, you should teach us today." Johnny agreed woth a happy nod of his head.  
"I told you I would teach you two." I grinned, happier then I thought I could be away from my clan. "For now though, we really should get moving. I am not sure those twolegs are done searching for us."  
That got both of them up. We set off at a brisk walk, but about half an hour later I slowed down for there sake. With full stomach we were making good time, but poor Dusty hadn't walked a mile in his life and we were forced to stop three hours later.

"Nows as good as time as any to learn how to hunt." I meowed. We had walked into a denser forest, the twolegs would have a harder time spotting us here.  
Johnny looked up. "We just sat down." He complained. "I may have walked miles before, but I have been stuck in the lab so long I lost track of time."  
"Can we please wait a few minutes?" Dusty asked.  
I made a face and sat down. If only they had more endurance! Oh well, they would get some sooner or later. Maybe now I could find out a bit more about my traviling compainions. "Ok, just don't get too comfortable." I warned them.  
"Yes ma'am." Johnny replied with a grin.  
"So Dusty, you are really small." I remarked. "You seem grown up though, how old are you?"  
"Seeming grown up? Yeah the lab has that effect on cats, I'm eight months old." He meowed, relaxed.  
I sat confused. Months? Did he mean moons? Probably. "I am 12 moons, I have been a warrior for a few weeks." I replied proudly.  
"I am 11 moons myself." Johnny meowed, he seemed to have gotten his breath back.  
I jumped up. "Lets start our training now." I urged.  
They got up. "Ok." Dusty meowed.  
We found a small clearing and I gulped nervously. Being a brand new warrior, I hadn't had an apprentice yet. How did the older warriors teach me? "Ok, just copy my moves and hold them, then I will tell you how to better them." I meowed and got into a hunting stance. "This is how you hunt mice." I informed them.  
They copied me and I inspected their stances. "Johnny, you are lopsided." I informed him. "Dusty, you have to much pressure on your front paws." They corrected themselves and I nodded satisfied.  
"Now I will show you how to move. This is more important then it sounds, if a rabbit or mouse hears you, there is a slim chance of catching it afterwards." I said. I got into a crouch and moved forward with slow purpose. "Note that only my paws touch the ground, but I don't have my butt in the air and waving it around." I meowed.  
The copied me and I watched. "Johnny, don't let that stomach touch the ground! Dusty, your front paws are still causing you trouble." I meowed at them.  
It helped knowing they were younger then me, even if Johnny wasn't younger by much. I might of sounded confident, but I wasn't sure I was teachingt them right. Well, they were doing the hunting technquie correctly, so I must of been teaching them correctly. I sighed a breath of relief when they reached the end of the clearing without mistake.  
"Well done." I meowed. "Now, lets see if you can really hunt a mouse. Meet back here at sunhigh." I meowed. "Don't get lost!" I ordered and walked off.  
I did it, I taught them! I was so happy. I ran into the forest to hunt for my own food, confident nothing could go wrong now. I quickly scented a mouse and pounced on it. I killed it with a swift hit to the back of the neck and jumped up grinning. It went quickly, and I got there before both of them.  
Knowing they wouldn't be back for a while I sat down and enjoyed my kill. It was as I remembered last nights kill, delicious with the flavors of freedom. Today was turning out well, maybe a little to well, but I ignored any negative thoughts. I heard rustling to my left and turned to see Johnny emerging with a mouse. His head and tail held high.  
"It took two tries, but I got one!" He announced proudly.  
"Eat it then." I purred.  
He did just that, and as he ate and we waited for Dusty I told him about the clans. If we were going there together he would want to know about them. I told him of all the important places, and about StarClan in whole. I told him how working with others made life in the wild easier then being alone. I think I had convinced him it was awesome, living with the clans.  
Sunhigh came and there was still no sign of Dusty. "I think it is because of how much pressure he puts on his front paws. It will make noise and make him slip." I meowed, trying not to worry.  
"He could be lost." Johnny suggested. "He has no idea how to track, never been outside the lab I bet."  
"Lets wait a little longer." I meowed.  
Johnny nodded. So we sat there and wait. A half an hour passed, then a whole hour. I knew it, something had gone wrong on this seemingly fine day. I junped up, unable to wait. "We must find Dusty!" I meowed and ran off.  
I smelled the air and followed Dustys scent, he had made no effort to hide it. Finding him was easy, though he had traveled a bit farther then I expected him too. When the scent of blood mixed with his I got worried. I felt that we were close, the scent of his smell and that of the blood was very strong. I rounded a tree and found a terrified Dusty looking at a badly scratched body.


	4. Chapter 4: Information

**Ok I lied I won't wait for 8 reviews. Actually I am only uploading this chapter to prove they aren't vampires. They aren't by the way! The humans made her to be the best survivalist, not some vampire beasty. I am posting this chapter to show everything they did to her, because yes, there are some things you don't know yet.**  
**The reason she goes crazy when hungry is to motivate her to hunt, she would be forced to hunt and in that crazed state hunting is her main priority.**

"Dusty, why!" The cry escaped my lips.  
"I didn't mean to! I swear, she just attacked me and I couldn't control myself!" He seemed genially worried for the cats well being.  
I decided to take action. I noticed her chest rising and falling. "She is still alive!" Like all cats who fought for there clans they were healed by there medicine cats, I just happened to remember some healing tricks. "I need cobwebs." I ordered.  
A confused Johnny brought me some. Quickly I placed them on here worst scratches. "I need more!" I hissed. "And marigold." Quickly I described the plant to Dusty who ran off to find it.  
As Johnny brought me more cobwebs I was forced to take short breaths away from my patient. I may of been full but it was fresh blood and I was afraid the fog would set it. The fog, even if I could save this poor cat she would be infected by Dusty! Refusing to think about that I continued to do my best to heal her.  
I had rearranged her body so her upper half was elevated and put moss around her. The cobwebs on the worst of her wounds needed changing again. As I took off the blood soaked cobwebs Dusty came back.  
"This it?" He asked.  
I nodded yes and began to chew it. Having that taste in my mouth helped me to concentrate too. I spat out the pulp and put it on her wounds. That should keep other infections out. I replaced the cobwebs and sighed. I couldn't do anything else for her now, I was no true medicine cat.  
Johnny came up. "Even if you save her, Dusty's venom has already entered her system." He whispered.  
Dusty seemed to have been thinking about it too. "I don't think I have venom." He meowed suddenly. "I remember attacking back. I only had a strong urge to fight, and even when I was hunting my fangs might of popped out but I don't think there was anything else."  
I looked at him surprised. "Do you think it is possible that the twolegs gave me the wrong venom? Johnny said I was meant to be a survivalist experiment. I don't see how infecting others helps me to survive." I meowed.  
Dusty nodded. "I know the twolegs the best. They would of wanted to give you paralyzingly venom, or venom to make your enemy wither in pain."  
Johnny decided to add his bit. "The bite only hurt, not the venom. We could test this on a mouse." He meowed.  
"No!" I hissed. "If we test it on a mouse how are we better then twolegs? Can I even infect mice?"  
"Only one way to see!" Dusty decided and went off. "I have to hunt anyway!" He called over his shoulder.  
I shuddered at the thought of some poor mouse trapped by Dusty. Well I couldn't move anyway, I had to take care of this poor cat.  
"Relax. Dusty wont play with his food." Johnny meowed, though he sounded unconvinced.

So we waited there until night fall, while I continued to keep an eye on the cat our friend had injured. Johnny finally went off to hunt for us both, and Dusty hadn't returned. After Johnny returned and I finished my mouse did the cat begin to stir. The sun was setting around this time.  
"Johnny, can you go get her a mouse?" I asked.  
He nodded and went off. I studied my patient.  
"I'm not dead?" She croaked. The poor cat sounded like she needed water.  
"No, and you should live." I meowed. "You made the wrong move attacking my friend. None of us can control ourselves in battle." I meowed.  
"What you talking about?" She sounded cross. "That brown tom stole my mouse! He was gonna pay for it!"  
I shook my head. "We really can't control ourselves in battle. Haven't you seen the lab nearby? It isn't even a days walk away."  
I smelled fear on her then. "That place is bad! Don't take me back!" She pleaded. "They made me fight and kill! I didn't aim to kill your friend!" I could hear panic in her voice. That was bad for recovery.  
"Shh Shh, we won't take you there. We three escaped ourselves not to long ago." I reassured her. "So you must know why we can't control ourselves then? You know of there horrible experiments?"  
"Yeah. I know all too well. They experimented on my sister until she lost her mind. Not afore they made her hunger so bad she resorted to chewing the flesh off her own tail though." The she-cat meowed.  
I flinched at the image. "That sounds horrible." I whispered. "My friend was born there and they, they made us fight. We have bad control of ourselves when we are hurt." I meowed, not completly telling the truth. "When the threat is knocked out or dead though, we return to normal."  
"I knew cats like that, but as they grew older they learned to control it. Then the twolegs killed them because they were boring." She meowed.  
This captured my interest. "Learned to control it? Interesting." I murmured.  
My patient yawned and I felt guilty she probably shouldn't have been talking. "My name is Dark River, Dark for short."  
"Call me Redheart, full name please." I meowed.  
"Night Redheart. Don't wake me up just for food until morning comes." She ordered.  
I nodded and thought about sleeping myself. As Johnny came back I drifted off to sleep next to Dark so I could keep her warm.

When I woke up it was dawn and the fog tugged at my mind. Bad, very bad. I kicked Johnny and Dusty, the fog already made me forget that I should keep an eye on Dark. "Fog!" I hissed, which got both up quickly. "We need to hunt." I growled.  
The three of us set off at a run. I sniffed the air, trying to keep the fog at bay. Maybe Dark was right, maybe I could learn to control it. Or maybe she was wrong and you couldn't control the fog that came with hunger. I refused to take chances.  
I smelled mouse and got into my hunting stance and stalked it, I had already lost the boys. I pounced when close enough and killed it with a blow to the neck. I quickly devoured it in a few hurried bites. Due to the need for speed I was unable to enjoy it, but that didn't sadden me. As long as there was no fog I was happy.  
With the fog gone and no longer trying to enter my mind I was able to remember the important things. Like how I left a wounded cat unfed and not defended in the forest all alone. Crap. I ran back, following my scent trail instead of memory because I didn't exactly remember how I got to the area where I killed the mouse. When I got there she was fine and grooming herself.  
"I got hungry and there was a mouse nearby so I ate it." Dark meowed.  
"Ok, before you ate it uh, did you feel fog in your head? Well, did you feel insane and unable to control yourself?" I asked.  
She stopped grooming herself. "Why ask such strange questions, friend?"  
I sighed. "Because you might of contracted a rare infection, passed through the fangs of my friend." That was somewhat the truth.  
"No." She meowed. "I felt nothing, just the usual hunger pains of a cat who has no idea how to hunt." She stretched then winced in pain from her wounds.  
"Careful!" I meowed. "Those wounds could easily open up again, stop moving so much and lay down." I ordered.  
She rolled her eyes. "Yes mum." She meowed and sat down.  
I sat near her thinking hard. Dusty was right, how come he was so certain? Did it come with knowing twolegs and there experiments well? I didn't like this and I would have to question him when he returned.  
As if reading my mind Dusty appeared warily through the trees. "Close. I think the fog might of gotten to Johnny." He meowed, then stopped. He saw Dark had awakened. "She seems alright." He meowed.  
"Luckily, she is fine." I meowed.  
"Yes I am fine." Dark meowed stiffly. "Greeting, does your friend Johnny also suffer from your infection?" She inquired.  
Dusty shoot me a look then turned his attention back to her. "I didn't start the infection." He said in a matter-of-factly voice. "Redheart did, and you just proved it can't be spread by any other."  
Dark frowned. "So you also attacked her, because she said you have trouble controlling yourselves in battle."  
Dusty grinned bitterly. "More like she was forced to attack me, blasted twolegs."  
Dark nodded. "That also makes sense."  
"Hey Dusty," I meowed, "We need to talk." I flicked my tail for him to follow me. "Don't move Dark, I will be nearby." I promised.  
Once I sat down Dusty looked at me curiously. "What couldn't you say in front of her, Redheart?" He asked.  
"How did you know you didn't infect her?" I asked.  
"How did you know how to use the venom to infect Johnny?" He shoot back. "Sometimes a cat just knows his body. It could be possible that the twolegs were still perfecting every thing. I assume infecting me was an accident you couldn't avoid due to not being in control of your mind."  
I sighed. "Ok, can you go back and guard Dark?" I asked. "I want to look for Johnny."  
Dusty nodded yes and I headed off. I hope Johnny was ok and not fighting for his sanity. I set off at a brisk trot and found his trail. I followed the scent, and began to worry when I smelled dog.  
I energed from to bushes and saw a dog standing over Johnny, my friend. The new territorial emotions came up and I growled. My friend! That mangy mutt had no right to try and harm my friend! Suddenly out of no where the scent of Brambleberry hit my nose.  
Settle down there young one, and stay calm! You can parsle with smart dogs like this one. I heard the voice in my head. His scent seemed to clear my mind also.  
The dog had caught my scent because I was upwind. "Please come peacefully." He barked.  
I stood there stupefied. It spoke cat?! I recovered my wits quickly. "I am sorry, but I can not come and I hope you haven't hurt my friend." I meowed.  
The dog shook his head. "The humans prepared me well, they gave me drugged blood in case of you losing your minds. They also experimented with venom on me. Since they haven't perfected it though, I can only knock you out if you refuse to come peacefully." He said calmly.  
"Why tell me this? And why can you knock out only me?" I asked.  
"Don't you know that we animals with venom have venom that must be put in manually? You only have three or four uses left yourself, depending if you have bit the other cat." He explained.  
My heart pumped with joy, but it was short lived, this dog wanted to take me back to the lab! I tried to stall the dog with talk. "You seem nice, and smart. Do you really want to work for the uh, humans?" I asked, I prefered using the word twoleg but I had a slim chance.  
"Of course not." He said sadly. "I would much rather let you go, but they shock me everyday I fail to retrieve you."  
I winced with sympathy. "How do they shock you big guy?" I asked.  
"See the collar? They use this to shock me. I can't get it off though!"  
I frowned and thought of a plain. "If I get that thing off of you will you not take me back there? Or my friends? Because then you can go free too." I meowed.  
The dog brightened, then became sad at the proposal. "How could a tiny cat do that?" He asked.  
"Very carefully, come with me and bring my friend." I meowed.  
We set off back to the area where there other two relaxed. I would have to explain my plan quickly before Dusty did something rash like attack the dog. When we got there I saw Dusty standing in front of Dark with his fur bristling.  
"Relax Dusty, this dog is our friend." I reassured him. "Ok actually, the twolegs sent him, but if we get his shock collar off we can all go free!" I meowed.  
"Why do you trust this dog?" Dusty spat.  
"Because the twolegs will just put a new collar on him if he brings us in." I meowed with a reasonable voice. "Since you know twolegs so well I was hoping you could get his collar off."  
Dusty relaxed somewhat. "I may be able to help." He admitted and approached the dog. After shortly ex aiming the collar Dusty sighed. "It will be tough, but I think I can get it off."  
I grinned. "Then get to work!"  
Dusty frowned. "Like how you couldn't heal Dark without herbs, I can't help our friend here without certain things." He meowed. "A cat once told me how to get collars off if you couldn't simply pull them over the head. Which you can't do with this one. He said to use something called dock leaf?"  
"I know about that." I meowed. "Be right back." After a short look I found the plant he wanted.  
"Thanks." Dusty meowed and set to work. He picked up some twigs, then chewed the dock leaf into a fine pulp. He rubbed it onto a certain area of the collar then stuck the twig in it with his mouth. "Don't move." He warned the dog.  
Dusty moved the twig and often growled in frustration. "If only that cat told me how to move the twig!" After many broken twigs he grabbed a small stick and started to jam it into the collar. We heard a small click and the collar fell off. "That worked?" He said surprised.  
I shook my head. "Obviously."  
The dog wagged his tail and put a paw to his own neck. "Freedom!" He woffed happily. "Thank you thank you! Is there anything else I can do for you?" He inquired.  
I thought for only a few seconds. "Yes, one more thing. What do you know about my condition?"

As Johnny woke up the dog told me all about what I could do. The humans didn't want him to fail so he was well informed. Johnny had been fed blood, even if it was drugged, so he was fine. At the end of informing us the dog offered to help us get to the clan, which I gladly accepted.  
It turns out since I infected Johnny and Dusty my non-regen venom could only be used three more times. The twolegs had been obsessed with making the perfect survivors and decided I could be the experiment. We didn't have more strength either, hungry cats in our condition were just programmed to be murderus when we hunted. Since the twolegs hadn't perfected me or my venom Johnny and Dusty couldn't infect others.  
The twolegs had planned to make me stronger, but I escaped before they could. There was also a cure for Johnny and Dusty, but not for me. I alone was the only one who had to permanently bear this. The dog, who was named Griz, also informed me that I could learn to control myself. This was joyous news, and I didn't care if I couldn't be cured, my friends could! The dog actually new the cure and was to cure Johnny if Johnny had been infected.  
Griz himself was a hybrid dog-wolf with advanced brain functions so he could learn to understand twolegs better and learn what he hunted could do. That was how he learned cat, though he had to teach himself that. It was also how he had such great control in situations like the one he was in earlier when we first met.  
Overall that day had been an exciting day, and we gained a new ally with valuable information. The only difference between me and other cats was that my fangs could extend and I needed blood or else I would go insane. Perhaps I could live in a clan, but first I would need to learn control.


	5. Chapter 5: Trapped

**Oh my gosh, much thanks Featherpool16 XD! That just made me laugh, thanks for the 8 review. Also, thank you Sunken Insanity, Faded Into Dawn, and FiresofHope for your support. It really does mean tons! And good news my awesome readers, next chapter we get to the present, which is the big battle. Also, what is up that warning, twice? Read and review my lovelies 3.**

**And Faded, I will keep that in mind.**

We stayed there for two more days and no longer without trouble, we couldn't risk being found again. When we moved we moved slowly for the sake of Dark River, who insisted on coming with us and Griz. After four days of travel the forest gave way to hills, which soon gave way to a mountain, and we began the debate on whether to cross it or not.

"I say we cross it, if we run into wolves surely I can reason with them." Griz barked.  
"That is fine and dandy," I meowed. "But what about Dark? Her wounds could reopen, and I am no medicine cat."  
"I am fine Redheart!" She protested. "We moved slowly, it will take a little more than jumping to reopen my skin!"  
"Well, then Johnny or Dusty need the cure, I was taught prey is scarce in the mountains." I meowed, going back to an already well argued over topic.  
"I only have one cure, and making another will be hard, but it is possible. We should just give it to Johnny and be over it." The dog growled.  
"I sacrifice the cure to Johnny!" Dusty meowed, trying to be dramatic about it. "Now can we get going?"  
I sighed. Dusty could be so rude about things! "Johnny, you want the cure?"  
"What if you bite some poor cat!" He fretted. "I am willing to live with this, but that poor cat!"  
I frowned. "I have more control than that! Just take the stupid cure already!"  
Johnny nodded. "Ok, I trust you, plus you can hunt better than me. I will take the cure." He said.  
"Wonderful!" Griz said in his deep voice. "Take this mixture of herbs." He threw a packet down. "I was to put that in a blood bag for you." He informed us. "But we don't need blood."  
Johnny opened the packet, and I stopped him from eating them right away. "Wait, it would be better to have two animals know the cure." I meowed. I sniffed the herbs and memorized them, then nodded.  
Johnny gulped up the herbs and sat back. "I don't feel differen-" He paused and put his paws to his mouth. "OH GOSH MY TEETH!" He howled.  
"Johnny!" I screeched, but Griz held me back with a large paw.  
"You cats have fangs, this is making sure they never pop out again. Yes it is going to make him hurt for a little." Griz rumbled.  
Johnny fell silent, and after a little got back up. "I'm cool." He sighed in relief. "In fact, I think I am cured!" He brightened up at that fact.  
"Great, so do we cross?" Griz barked.  
I nodded. "I vote we cross."  
"Same." Barked Griz.  
Dusty and Dark also voted we crossed, only Johnny was alone. "I vote you are all crazy." He complained. "Don't you know cannibals live in the mountains! That is what my grandma always told me, because she lived there!"  
"Why did she move to the city?" I asked.  
"Cannibals are scarier than twolegs, twolegs won't eat you."  
I shuddered. "Yeah but they still hurt you." I meowed.  
"Only those in the lab, or some mean twolegs kicked cats. A few were nice in the city though!" Johnny meowed.  
We talked as we walked and reached the foot of the mountain. Griz went first, declaring that he would know wolf signs when he saw them, or heard them, or smelled them. Being half wolf sure made him confident. It wasn't wolves that scared me though, it really was the prospect of cannibals. Was I as bad as them, with my 'condition'?  
When night came we agreed it would be safer to hunt in groups. Griz went with Dark and Johnny, while Dusty and I hunted together. In case of fog of course. Not even Griz the dog wolf would be completely safe if we went insane.  
I sniffed the air eagerly and found that scents were easier to pick apart up in the clean air. That would give me an advantage in the life poor place, but we weren't high up yet so the prey here was plentiful enough. I held still as I looked around, remembering what my mentor said incase I ever got to visit the tribe in the mountain. Yes, my lovely clan trained me for everything thankfully.  
I spotted a mouse and waited for it to come closer, while I scented for eagles. They were a threat here, but I warned my friends of them. I grinned and pounced, killing the mouse quickly. I devoured it right away, no chances ever! I looked around trying to spot Dusty, and I easily could. I told him not to move so much up here!  
I sneaked up behind him and stopped myself from whacking him in the head with a paw. That would just activate the fog. "Boo." I meowed instead.  
He whirled around, scared, then calmed down when he saw it was just me. "Why did you do that!" He spat.  
I stood up. "I already ate and you blend up here better than I!" I exclaimed. His light brown pelt did blend in better than my dark red one. "Remember what I said and sit still, the prey will come to you. And no it isn't that stupid, but it just won't know you are there."  
He sighed, I had gotten food so it must have worked. "Yes yes, now you should go find the others and find some place to camp. The air up here is so clean even I can track you."  
I purred and whisked off. Yes, even the novice of the wild could track me up here. I ran off to find the other group, not afraid of leaving Dusty alone, I hadn't scented any cat, or wolf, yet. Finding them was easy enough, seeing as they couldn't stay still well either, except for Griz. The twolegs had taught him self control, and how to get his target in any condition, terrain, or place.  
I flicked a tail and only Griz spotted me, which I intended. I grinned at him and cocked my head slowly towards the other two, as if to ask, aren't they cute bumbling around? Griz also grinned back and lightly wagged his tail, then held still. He flicked an ear and I assumed he heard something so I held still too. Sure enough the faint sound of chicks entered my ears. Only eagle chicks would dare be that loud, so that meant one thing. Eagles!  
I ran off in the direction of the sound, but not before I rolled in mud to mask my fur which stood out like dried blood on rocks. Blood would only attract an eagle to possible easy food, which I wasn't! I soon was able to follow the scent too. From the sound there was one baby eagle, but the smell told me more would be hatching. Griz appeared near me.  
"Smart idea with the mud." He whispered, surprisingly quite.  
"Thanks, the tribe taught the clans this for mountain survival." I forgot, I hadn't told them about the tribe! Just that my clan taught me this. "I will tell you about them later, for now, we need to kill those babies. They grow up quickly and eagles Hunt cats, you can't watch us all the time Griz." I whispered.  
Griz seemed uncomfortable with the thought of killing babies. "They are so young though, just hatchlings."  
"They will kill us." I meowed. "Think of them as prey, prey to be eaten, because we will eat them." I assured him.  
"Ok." Griz seemed to accept this, now that it had a bit more meaning to kill them.  
I slowly crept forward and up the steep rocks to the carefully placed nest. It was hard, and I slipped every now and then, but no parents appeared. I had gathered a plan to transport the eggs, and I would just kill the hatched one. I finally made it into the nest.  
Working quickly I snapped the hatchlings neck and threw it down to Griz. I then moved on to the eggs which I wrapped three times with the nest materials. I rolled them down the steep path and prayed they didn't break. We could eat those in case of emergency! Not checking on the egg I rolled down, I did the same to the other two and made to get down myself. To bad I couldn't wrap myself in the nest.  
Which lead to a stupid idea. "Griz." I called down. "I don't think I can climb back down, tree is different than rock, but I have an idea!"  
"What is it?" He called.  
"Oh, just sit in one place and get ready for me." I called down and went to work.  
I really didn't think I could climb down, getting up was hard enough. After making sure the nest was one that didn't fall apart easily, which it wasn't incase the nest fell in a storm. I got ready and pushed it toward the edge. "StarClan, if I could come out of this uninjured I will behave for the rest of my days!" I whispered the quick pray and jumped in. My momentum and weight pushed the nest over the edge and I went down.  
The wind whisked past me and I let out a whoop. This was fun! Dangerous and I would never do it again, but fun! I looked behind me and saw the nest shredding, which worried me, but the ride was over as soon as it began. I hit Griz's side with a loud thump.  
"That actually hurt you stupid cat." He growled.  
I purred. "You only call me stupid because you were worried."  
"That and if you were my pup I would throw you over the edge." He snorted.  
I got up wobbly. "I am fine, how that happened I don't know, I think StarClan was looking out for me." I laughed.  
Griz stood up. "Your ancestors? Yes, only explanation I can think of, though why they watch out for you when you knew you could get badly hurt I have no idea why!"  
"Brambleberry always put up with me." I meowed and picked up the dead chick and an egg, that stayed in its nest wrapping. "Pick up the other eggs please, and lets find the others." Griz nodded and did that.  
We walk back to the place we last saw our friends hunting and found them unsuccessful still. I set my bounty down and laughed. "No need to fear! Redheart and Griz are here!" I grinned.  
Dusty snorted. "Even I could catch something!" He boasted.  
"Not without me reminding you first." I reminded him happily.  
"I still caught a mouse." He mumbled.  
"Yes, and we caught enough for four."  
Griz looked a little uncomfortable. "Actually, being bigger I require more food. I ask you kindly for two eggs instead of one." He barked.  
I shrugged. "Why not? I still caught my own prey, and so did dusty. This leaves enough for Dark and Johnny.  
My friends tucked into their meals, Dark took the chick while Johnny got the egg. All seemed fine. After that we found a hole in the ground protected by a bush and we all curled up together, easily drifting off to sleep. Yes, today had been a fine day.

The sound of a birds angry shriek woke me up, from the position of the moon it was midnight. I jumped up in time for a bird to swoop down on me and pick me up into the air. I shrieked so loud I am pretty sure my clan could hear me. "HELP!"  
They were up right away, why weren't they up when the eagle shrieked? I could worry about that later though, I was in the talons of an eagle! It squeazed tighter, drawing blood and the fog set in. A low growl errupted from my throat and I black out.

I woke up at dawn and ached all over. "What?" I croaked.  
"She's awake!" A male voice yowled. It wass't one I knew either. I tensed quickly and a tail was laid on my shoulder. "I was told you were Redheart of the Clans, welcome young one. I am Stoneteller."  
I was confused, acorrding to Griz the journey to even to the mountains near the lake should of taken a week in and a half or so, due to animals traviling slower then cars. "Impossible." I spluttered.  
"No Redheart, your dog friend overestimated the distance. Now rest." He meowed.  
I wanted to ask more questions, but I was in so much pain, and even talking took it out of me. I obeyed and fell asleep again. Yes, let the black blanket take away my pain. It was a dreamless sleep.

"Asleep for three days, how long can we go by squeezing the blood into her mouth?" A voice asked.  
"As long as we must." Another voice growled. I knew that voice, it should keep talking, I thought.  
"I know none of you would have been free, save for Dark, if it weren't for her but she can't continue this sleep!" The first voice meowed.  
"I can speak for myself." I coughed.  
"Redheart!" The second voice cried, and I placed as Johnny.  
"One and only." I meowed. "I need water."  
Water soaked moss was brought to me and I stiffly sat up. Much better. I greedily gulped the water, ignoring the small flares of pain on my side and stiff muscle. I felt like something dropped me from a tall hight, than I remembered. That was exactly what happened! It came back to me slowly.  
I had turned around in the eagles grip and clawed at its chest, not caring for my own safety even at that hight. I kept a clawing until it let go, but I wasn't done yet, no, it had to die. I clawed the torn up chest once more until my paw broke through the muscle to the heart. I was disgusted by my mid-air battle. More memories came though, if the eagle hadn't been under me, breaking my fall I would have been dead.  
Great, a stroke of luck and the fog saved me, they had kept me here subdued with blood. The tribe cats had been very nice, living up to the legends of their known kindness, but I didn't want to push it. I stretched and took inventory of myself. Apperntly I had been knocked out for four days, but the eagle breaking my fall, and Griz catching me on his back spared me of broken bones, though he had a major bruise.  
I finished stretching my cramped muscles and looked around. I was so close to home, I was eager to get going right then, but common sense told me to be slow. My compainions had been talking quitely, so I didn't hear them, but Johnny approached me.  
"Hey sleepy." He purred. "Glad to see you are up. Luckily the tribe cats could eat the meat you took blood from." He meowed.  
I looked surprised. "Are they having trouble feeding themselves? I don't want to burden them!" I meowed.  
Johnny frowned. "I should have waited until you ate." He murmured apologetically.  
I cocked my head in confusion and he just shoke his. I followed him into the central area of the cave. "They said forgetting rid of an eagle we are welcomed, as long as we pull our own weight." He meowed. "So we haven't burdened them, especially since we gave them the eagle you killed. They aren't picky about how squashed food is."  
I nodded. "Ok." My stomach growled.  
Johnny grinned. "Go eat, pure blood diets are hard I hear."  
I chuckled and chose a mouse. Remembering there tradition of sharing I shat near Johnny and took a bite then pushed it towards him.  
"Thanks." He meowed and took his own bite then pushed it back.  
We shared while he filled me in. He knew that I knew about the tribe, but not the Tribe of Rushing Waters problems.  
"Yes, apprantly the other cat group here, the dishonorable one, has turned to cannibalism! Can you believe that mountain cats had never heard of such things?" He shook his head,  
I snorted. "Before us clans they never fought, but we weren't the reason there fighting began. The tribe was here before that scraggly group, we taught the tribe in the past to defend itself and about boundaries." I added proudly.  
"You also taught them about pride, they refuse to ask for the clans help anymore." Johnny meowed. "Shame the nice ones die off. Oh, and they have the herbs here to make enough cures for three more. Dusty was cured."  
I purred, good a cure! "Good." I meowed,  
"Apprantly only a certain herb that we were missing grows in mountains alone." He informed me.  
I nodded. "So we should set out soon." I meowed.  
Johnny laid a tail on my shoulder. "Stoneteller insists you stay three more days to heal completly, that and he wishes to talk with you."  
I was surprised by the last part, but didn't show it. He probably just wanted to check up on the clans. We finished the mouse and Johnny left me to sit alone, he wanted to help defend the tribe while they hunted. I wasn't alone for long, Stoneteller took his place.  
"Greetings clan cat." He meowed formally.  
"Greetings healer." I meowed back politely. "I heard you wish to talk?"  
He nodded. "Yes, about your condition."  
I stiffened, but wasn't offended. "Please continue." I meowed.  
"The Tribe of Endless Hunting spoke to me the night you arrived. They told me to tell you this. Dark waters rising, the dusty clouds of the desert are dangerous too. Beware." He meowed, but didn't stop there. "They also said, you are not a monster, but a tool. You can be used for good, or for destruction. A tool who decides her own fate. Your first choice, use your powers to help us, or leave us." He finished.  
I thought about it. "If I helped you, would it be good? I understand your... Problem." I meowed. "But surely you know of mine?"  
"That you can not be controlled in battle? I am well aware of it." He meowed calmly. "So make your first choice. You aren't in our debt, with Griz the cannibals stay away, but when he leaves they shall return. Make a choice, you have three days. On the fourth day, a great battle will occur, with or without you."  
I nodded, and was very troubled. Brambleberry told me the same thing! This stuff with the tribe was new though, but they needed me nonetheless. "I must think." I told him weakly.  
He nodded. "Come to me on the third day, Redheart." And walked away.

For three days I stayed there, and finally the time came. I just wish he didn't make a big thing out of it, but he called a meeting. "Cats of the Tribe of Rushing Water, I will not lie!" He yowled in a loud voice. "A big battle comes tomorrow, but I know you all have been sensing it draw closer. I will not lie, we will have to fight or die, and many of us will die, without our champion. Our future rests on one cat and her friends alone, the clan cat!"  
The bastard! I thought viciously. He didn't need to do this, put this pressure on us! Make us say yes or be guilty forever! I held my temper though as he continued to speak.  
"Redheart, will you save my tribe?" He asked, and then I understood why he did it.  
I stood up. "Yes," I meowed clearly. "I will save your tribe." He has put me in that position because this was his tribe, because he loved every single cat here like a kitten. Stoneteller might of hated putting me in such a position, but what was a pawfull of cats and one dog worth next to his tribe? I might never forgive him for doing such a low move, but I wouldn't let others suffer.


	6. Chapter 6: A Sad Ending

**A sad chapter. Well the ending is sad. Read and review lovelies! despite the chapters name, this ISNT the end. Dun dun dun...**

** Featherpool, Cannibals are worse! Zombies are mindless, but cannibals can lay traps...**

The tribe cheered, my friends cringed, I was considered a hero but this was a suicide mission. Or was it? Stoneteller seemed to trully feel sorry for me, what he said next proved it.  
"I won't let you go in there helpless though." He meowed. "I ask for three brave volunteers to take on her curse for a short period of time. You will be cured though!"  
The cats murmured among themselves. Who would risk it? Who would join me in battle and give themselves up to the fog and possibly death? No one who was sane would risk it, so when a she-cat stepped forward she seemed to be doubting her own sanity.  
"I will!" She said in a quavery voice.  
"As will I!" Another female stepped up. From her creamy pelt and blue eyes she looked to be twins with the first volunteer.  
"Count me in!" A small cat meowed.  
"To-be's can't do this!" A cat from the crowd shouted at the last volunteer.  
"Then why don't you step up?" The to-be hissed.  
There was no answer, but Stoneteller meowed. "I am sorry, but he is right, you are to young. I need someone fully trained."  
"Then let his mentor do it." A tom with a deep meow stood up. His muscles rippled under a short grey pelt that blended in with the rocks.  
"Accepted." Stoneteller meowed and bowed his head. "I will let you get to know Redheart in peace, tribe dismissed."  
The three brave cats walked up to me. "Greetings." The tom meowed.  
"Hello, I am Splash where Water Drops." The first volunteer meowed.  
"I am her sister, Squeak of Hungry Mouse." The second volunteer meowed.  
"I am Thunder in Stormy Sky." The male meowed hastily.  
I dipped my head in greeting. "You already know me, Redheart. So uh, how shall we go about..?" I trailed off.  
"Follow me." Thunder ordered and walked to a tunnel. "We will do it in the prisoners tunnel, just for privacy. We are unable to keep prisoners for they just..." He shuddered in fear.  
Cannibals must have been horrible, I was soon to find out. Either they would be supper, there blood of course, or I would be supper. We stopped in a small cramped place that smelled damp and was all around unpleasant. No wonder they tried to keep prisoners here instead of decent cats.  
"You may bite me first." Splash offered.  
I shrugged, it was all the same and would probably be awkward. My fangs slid out with a pop that was barely audible, only made louder by the stone around us. I leaned over and gently bit her front leg, feeling the venom slid out. It was weird.  
It was done and Squeak approached next, I did the same thing. When Thunder approached he seemed reluctant. "This won't be pleasant will it."  
I shook my head. "You will deal with this for only a day or two though." I assured him and bit him quickly. We all exited. "Be sure to get something to eat tomorrow, before done!" I meowed.  
We entered the main cave and I didn't need to eat. I couldn't help but drink a little of Thunders' blood, the taste was maddening and tempting. Doing it three times in a row was hard, but I was sure he didn't notice. That night when I went to sleep I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth though, dear StarClan what had those twolegs done to me?

"It wasn't right of him to do this!" My favorite dream cat growled.  
"He felt he had to Brambleberry." I meowed.  
"You... I can't say you will regret this, the future is blurry!" He cried and the dream disappeared.

I was being awakened by a guard. He was to wake me and the other three two hours earlier then dawn. I got up and stretched, then went to go eat some prey. When I bit in it was pleasntly warm. I heard that they treated cats with impossible missions well before they had to go do them.  
The other three joined me and we finished our prey. We were alone now, and I felt the need to talk to them.  
"There is a chance we all won't survive, because we won't stop fighting until we are either dead or knocked out." I whispered.  
"I don't regret my decision." Squeak meowed.  
The other two nodded their heads along with her. They wanted to do this for there tribe. I grinned, it was nice to know there were brave cats like them. "Then I hope we all live." I meowed.  
Around dawn a cannibal came with a message. "We attack at dark." He sneered. "So hide your females and your kittens!" He laughed while the tribe bristled.  
Griz didn't like this and he approached growling. "Oh, so you put females down too?" He snarled.  
The cocky cannibal nodded. "Damn right we do, they are good for kits once, then we eat them up yum!" He laughed insanely.  
"The meat of your own kind has driven out what brain your had left!" Griz barred his fang and killed then at by swiping at his neck. The cannibal died quickly.  
He straightened up. "We should prepare." He barked. The tribe rallied around him.

Hours passed and dark approached, the tribe hid in one cave, but all entrances were covered in brambles. If the cannibals got passed us those brambles would scratch them up if they choose the wrong cave. We paced in the front, and I began to worry as the fog slowly began to set in. I assumed it would of set in later, the sun was only starting to set!  
With me pacing this worried the other three. They convinced me to sit down, but I was fidgety. I groomed my fur to pass the time, and it did help. There were a few advantages to having long fur.  
Just as the sun set and dark came the fog had nearly swamped my whole brain, making it hard to concentrate. The others were already gone though, never have dealing with this before. As dark came with the fog, so did our enemies, but the three behind me were not ready. They accepted my control because I have been like this longer, but they didn't know there own hierarchy.  
To settle this I growled with my remain control. "Kill most, second command!" They got it, the fog sealed it into their brains. My control broke as the first fighter stepped out from the brambles.  
The brambles covering the entrance scratched him, drawing blood. We were attracted to him like sharks. We pounced and made short work, but not before tearing him up too badly to feed. We needed to feed now!  
I let out a feral yowl that they copied. We wanted blood now! The need was great as it splattered our pelts and the cave. More cannibals entered, curious of the sounds. One by one they entered and died, but they had broken the bramble enough so more could come in.  
Slowly they began to overwhelm us, and we were full, but now the fog stayed for the fight and the blood. We still couldn't control ourselves, just count the kills and see who was top cat. Three had the pretty Squeak pinned down and they looked like they wanted to do nasty things to her, but Thunders dominance kicked in. He killed one and the other two were quickly killed by both Thunder and Squeak.  
Me, I am slicing, and frowning, a spark was in my fog. Something about this wasn't right, all the mindless killing. The fog made me like it, want it, need it even. It was the fog though, wasn't it? The fog that made me so mindless. I nearly stopped mid-kill, when I remembered that I needed to kill for my life. The fog took over again, but now I knew something important.  
Thunder had been killed, in that state I could care less though. They had knocked out Squeak and Splash, all the cats rounded on me, and overwhelmed me. One hit my head and I saw black. He had knocked me unconscious.

When I woke up I felt sick, and barfed a waterfall of blood. I drank to much for even a monster last night. Squeak and Splash were crying next to each other, near a body that was lying still. Around me the stench of blood rose, but this time it made me queasy. It was dried and splattered all around so not even the roaring waterfall cleaned it all.  
Stoneteller approached me with respect. "Thanks to you and the other three, the tribe is safe. Sadly Thunder died, and so did others when you had been knocked out. It was worth it though, they had sent all their males to conquer us. We found there females, which turns out most were prisoners. We set them free as they claimed not to have willingly eaten cat, only a few did and they were crazy."  
I wrinkled my nose. "Just heal me and leave. I am sick to my stomach, literally." I spat.  
Stoneteller only frowned deeper. "As you ask." He meowed and left.  
Johnny approached me soon after. "You saved them all." He meowed awed. "Without you four, and your recklessness, we all would have died!"  
I looked at him. "We lived because we were reckless!?" I snapped. "We lived because I am a monster and I can make monsters! I am thankful that I have no more venom!" I went on somewhat calmer. "You didn't see what we did, maybe you saw the aftermath, but throughout the battle we counted kills and liked it. We three females would have died if they didn't have plans to make us pregnant." I whispered.  
Over and over again I saw the horrible battle! In my mind, there was no end to it! No wonder Squeak and Splash cried, I wanted to. I sniffed and Johnny pressed against me for comfort.  
"Shh." He meowed. "We are here for you, Dusty understands."  
He was right, Dusty understood. No, wait he didn't. He didn't kill like I did, he only attacked Dark, and she lived and was healthy. Only Squeak and Splash understood. They were there, they killed too.  
"No," I meowed in a dismissive tone. "Dusty doesn't understand. Only those who were there do. We went in knowing what would happen, and yes we saved the tribe, but it was horrible. Griz wouldn't have been able to take on all the cats even." I growled.  
Johnny looked a little hurt but nodded. "I guess, and speaking of Griz, he wishes to stay here. It is possible the females were lying and just wanted a taste of freedom. He wants to help protect the tribe."  
I would truly miss Griz, but I knew he couldn't come with us to the clans. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea." I admitted.  
"I am glad you agree." Came Griz's familiar rumble behind me.  
I look up at him. "Yeah, the clans don't like dogs." I meowed apologetically. "They probably would attack first and ask questions later."  
Griz sighed. "Yes, with good reason. Most dogs sadly can not think past their own species, also like most cats, but these tribe cats. They are different, and I enjoy their company."  
I smiled. "I am glad. Those twolegs would never venture up here either." I purred. Yes, we were probably well away from those nasty twolegs.  
"Stoneteller has given the cure to Splash and Squeak, and though it probably won't work for you, you could give it a try." He added.  
My paws worked at the ground and I thought it over. Would it work the same? I had actually thought hard about it, and I might of figured out why it wouldn't work. It might just cure my mind, or just my fangs. The mind is not physical, but fangs are, this cure might be made to just target the mind. Should I try it? "I guess I could." I mumbled.  
Griz set a leaf bundle in front of my. I removed the peace of grass and it opened up, revealing some herbs. I ate them up quickly and prepared myself for the possible pain of fng removal. One minute passesm two minutes, three. Nothing. The cure wasn't made for me. "It's ok Griz, maybe it cured my mind." I meowed doubtfully.  
"Probably not." He sighed. "We will continue to search for your cure." Griz vowed.  
I grinned weakly and head butted his chest. "No need to do that for me! It isn't like Johnny will desert me. I mean, Dusty might and Dark has no reason to stay, but Johnny won't leave."  
Griz shrugged and walked off.  
I felt pretty lonely, it was like these cats were missing the truth or something. I only lived because I was female and they wanted to make me pregnant with their cannibal kits. My blood ran cold at the thought, what if this thing could be passed on through genes? I shook my head to clear it of such thoughts. I didn't want kits soon, but I might have wanted them in the future.

I was forced to wait three more days to heal, and it nearly drove me mad. I wanted home right there and then, I still had to walk back to the lake! That took like, one whole day! Pacing didn't help much either and it only made the tribe cats leave me alone. They seemed to despise pacing.  
Finally though, the day to leave had arrived. I spent one week more with the tribe then I had ever planned too. When cats talk of visiting the tribe to share important news, they say they are sad to leave. I guess I was the exception, staying was the last thing on my mind.  
"Good bye." I meowed. "I wish I could have said this was a pleasure, but it wasn't." I added rudely. I felt I deserved the right to have one rude remark.  
We left the tribe on a sour note, but I didn't care. Griz accompanied us to the border, and he pulled me aside. "Try not to grow bitter Redheart." He asked with true concern.  
I sighed. "Perhaps my remark back there was uncalled for, I shall keep you in mind." I admitted.  
He nodded. "Goodbye my friend. I wish the cure had worked for you."  
"Me too." I left the mountains for good

The travel to the lake was short, and the whole way I was snappish. Truthfully, I was worried what my clan would think. Would they be angry, or would they listen to me? I was liked among ThunderClan, but held no position of power. No one expected me to amount to anything except being a great warrior. I only wanted to be a great warrior.  
As we neared WindClan territory I stopped us. They had little idea of how clans could treat outsiders. Or cats from other clans. "Before we go further, before us lays WindClan." I began. "We have been traveling for about a moon, well probably a little less then that. Still, that means WindClan is probably still angry at my clan, ThunderClan. We can't reach ThunderClan without venturing through WindClan, unless you plan on swimming the whole lake distance. Luckily, there is a rule though, we can travel safely if we stay a fox length near the lake. If we are approached though, let me speak to the cats, and for safety we should try to sneak past any patrol." I finished.  
"Yeah question," Dusty meowed. "What if they attack you?"  
I stiffened, damn! "Then I control myself." I meowed cooly. "Now we cross at night, we only have to worry about the night patrol then."  
It took a day and a night to get to the lake, now it would take the same time just to cross some territory. I wished I could have been faster, but I knew better then to rush. We hunted and waited for the sun to set, and when it finally did I couldn't wait any longer. Home was just beyond my reach, and I wanted to go there!  
We set out, and walked in the lake to mask our scent. WindClan didn't need to think rouges were traviling on their territory. One patrol did come by but we just hid in the heather. When they passed we ran, and didn't stop running until we heard the stream, marking the boundary.  
"Home..." I whispered and crossed into ThunderClan territory.  
Johnny, Dark, and Dusty didn't seem to impressed with ThunderClans territory, but again, I could have cared less! I suddenly sprinted through the trees and resisted laughing, while my companions struggled to keep up. When I stopped, it was because we were nearing camp.  
"Friends," I meowed, "we must be careful in case they accuse me of running away. Don't speak and we shall be fine. I hope." I meowed.  
I approached camp and entered. It was quite, because it was midnight, but the rustling of my friends soon woke others up. The first to enter the camp clearing was my leader, Fangstar.  
"Strangers, do not hide in the dark." She commanded.  
I stepped from the shadows first. "Fangstar, I have returned." I meowed with a bowed head.  
The leader looked startled, but it was gone quickly. "You brought others here." She accused.  
"That I did." I admitted. "Meet my companions. Dusty, Dark, and Johnny." As I said there names each bowed there head in greeting. "Without them I would not have escaped the twolegs." I left out the part how Dark was actually attacked by Dusty.  
Fangstar looked at the gathering warriors. "Back to sleep, I shall speak to her alone, with Maskface." She said, naming our medicine cat.  
We entered her den, though it was a tight squeeze. "Do your friends speak?" The leader demanded.  
"Of course we do!" Dusty meowed hotly.  
"Hmm, ok. Redheart, tell me your tale. You claimed to have been taken by twolegs?" My leader meowd arrogantly.  
I disliked how she said, claimed, but I let it slide and controlled my temper. "Yes, I was taken by twolegs. Didn't you smell them, or did the blood scent cover it?" I asked hurt.  
"We smelled them, and you." She admitted. "Continue."  
So I told her the tale, my friends filling in the gaps. I explained how I was experimented on and that I required blood. I told her how in battle I attacked everything. In the end I prayed she believed my crazy bloody tale. At the end I looked at her with pleading eyes, hoping for her to let me stay.  
"I think we should not let her stay, she is a danger." Maskface meowed.  
"I agree, if what she said is true, and it probably is because no cat could make up that, then she is too dangerous to have in a clan. I am sorry Redheart, but you are exiled." Fangstar meowed.  
My heart broke, I couldn't speak. I was shocked beyond words. That journey, the escape, all for nothing!? "No..." I managed.  
My friends didn't like this either, they saw how badly I wished to return.  
"That isn't right!" Dusty protested. "She fought off cannibals, you should hail her as a hero!"  
"She also escaped the lab, which is no small feat, just to come back here!" Johnny added. "You did not see her, she was desperate to return!"  
"She saved my life." Dark meowed quitely. "I will vouche for her return. She must live here, she belongs here."  
Fangstar shook her head no. "To dangerous, and though I know I give up an amazing warrior, she may only spend the night here. You four are welcomed to join her, but in the morning you all must leave."  
My friends went to protest again but I silenced them. "The leaders word is law." I meowed, defeated. "Let's just be thankful she is letting us spend the night, and letting me say goodbye with grace." We exited the leaders den.  
We entered the warriors den and slept in a corner together. I had the strangest dream.

My mouth was so dry, I needed water! The scent of Brambleberry hit my nose. "Brambleberry, I need water!" I cried out.  
A dust cloud rolled over me and I heard a faint, _poor child_, in my ears. When the dust cloud settled I saw a roaring tidal wave. The water was unnaturally dark, and it hit me like a monster. Suddenly, there was to much water and I was drowning. "Brambleberry, help!" I spluttered and went under.

I woke up with a bitter feeling, and slightly confused. Where was I? Then I remembered last night, and my horrible exile. At the time I felt defeated, but now I felt angry, no furious! She had no right to exile me! Though I couldn't demand justice, for I knew I would get none, I still plotted revenge. I went through to much just to be exiled, and I would make them pay for my pain.  
"All cats old enough to catch there own prey, gather before high ledge for a clan meeting!" The old call woke the rest of the cats. I angrilly walked out of the den, not caring if I stepped on there tails. Let them feel that pain, I had suffered worse!  
My companions followed me, worried by my unusual lack of kindness. We sat together before the high ledge and my clanmates, sorry, ex-clanmates, gathered around us.  
"Last night, the brave Redheart returned to us with an extraordinary tale. I believe her, and because I believe her, she must leave." The leader began. "Twolegs have messed with her mind, if she is hurt in battle or does not degest enough blood from prey, she grows insane. Sadly she can not control it, for her journey has made her an incredible warrior, but she endangers us when staying here. With great regret, Redheart, I exile you from ThunderClan. if you are seen here after sunset my warriors have the right to drive you off the territory. Say your goodbyes and never return."


	7. Chapter 7: But a Sweet beginning

**Been trying to update once a day, but with christmas break ending I might not be able to do that. I promise to try my best though, but if you get three updates during the week I hope you can be happy with that! This chapter should also help explain why Fangstar is such a jerk :L**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

I felt a cold fire burn within me. I wanted revenge. I was a loyal warrior, I went on a hard journey and I was getting kicked out for something not my fault! "You're making a big mistake." I snarled and left. "Goodbye you thankless clan! I regret ever making the effort to return, I should have went somewhere else!"  
With that I fled the camp, my friends trailing behind me. I didn't stop running until I reached the shore line. I smelled the air, somehow my mad run did not scare off the mice. I whirled around and killed one then quickly devoured it. My friends caught up to me.  
"Where do we go now?" Johnny asked, panting.  
I stopped and thought. Yes, where do we go now? I grinned. "We search for a legendary place, that has supposedly disappeared." I meowed,  
Dark looked at my like I was mad. "Oh, and unicorns live there too?" She asked.  
I laughed. "No, not legendary like that! There are stories of tunnels made by ancient cats long before the clans lived here. The clans found them and this displeased StarClan because the clans abused them, so StarClan collapsed the entrances." I explained. "We just find a collapsed entrance, or a possible open one. It has been said that StarClan didn't collapse all the entrances."  
"Why do we want to find this place?" Johnny asked.  
"To live there." I meowed.  
We soon set out, searching for any possible entrance. We also hunted ThunderClans prey for the heck of it, just to spite them. Let them grow angry, as long as we found the tunnels by sunset we were safe! I was going to get revenge, and prey stealing was just the beginning.  
We searched for hours, and it was beginning to feel hopeless. We had met up at sunhigh, but there had been no luck. When we meet up an hour before sunset though our luck began to change. We gathered at the shore with some prey.  
"I found a possible entrance!" Dark meowed excitedly.  
We let out Woops of joy before I silenced us. ThunderClan would begin their search for us soon.  
"Quick Dark, lead us near the place. We can check for ThunderClanners there. If the coast is clear you can show us." I ordered.  
She nodded and we set out. Before we left out I made them roll in some ferns to cover their scent. When we got to the area I looked around and smelled the air, mice, birds, and nothing else. I nodded to Dark who then showed us the possible entrance. It was bigger than a rabbits hole, but not noticeably bigger. In what would be the entrance, brambles and dirt filled it. Someone had found it and hid it, but done the work sloppily.  
With a set face I hooked out the brambles, being very careful to not let them pierce my skin. The decade old plant came out easily and the earth shifted. I dug out the earth and before us was an entrance to the tunnels. I grinned with triumph, now we just had to find a place in them to relax.  
"Good job Dark." I said with approval. "Let's explore!"  
As the sun set we entered the tunnels, confident no one would find us. It was time to disappear for a while, and if the stories about Hollyleaf were true then we could survive down here. There were mice, and somewhere a steam, we had found a place to stay hidden and support four cats.  
We soon found the perfect area to call camp, it held a stream and above us we could see the sky. StarClan shone above us in all it's glory, and for a few seconds I felt peace. It was washed away with anger though, no peace until everything was set. I looked at my friends who were looking at me.  
"We have found a home." I purred. "A place we can all claim as ours. Not theirs! It runs below clan territory."  
We enjoyed the thought of a home all our own. Johnny lived in the city, and was constantly run out of any possible homes, and Dusty lived in the lab, that was no home. I didn't know about Dark, but I suspected she hadn't had a home before either. We decided to celebrate.  
After hunting enough prey to last till morning we feasted, and fell asleep next to each other. We were a group, almost like a clan. A clan... A clan was your family who accepted you for who you were, these cats accepted me. They were far more accepting then ThunderClan, or other clans.

The next morning we woke up and I stretched then ate a peice of left over prey. I had much to think about. A clan was family, and these cats were more like family then ThunderClan. Could we make a clan, or was that a bad idea?  
My friends woke and joined me to finish the rest of the prey. Johnny saw I was thinking about something.  
"You ok Redheart?" He asked.  
I looked at him. "Oh, yeah. I was just thinking about ThunderClan and what a clan is..." I trailed off.  
"What do you think a clan is?" He asked.  
"A clan is a family, and a group you can trust even in your darkest hour." I meowed. "They would never kick you out if it wasn't your fault. They work together and help the weak or those who can not help themselves." That was a good clan.  
"That sounds nice." He meowed kindly. "Do you think you will ever be apart of a clan again?" Johnny asked.  
I hesitated. "Maybe, but not part of the clans above us... Johnny, do you think another clan could be built?" I wondered,  
"Well, uh, maybe. If you are wondering if we could build a clan, possibly. We only have four cats though we could use a few more." He meowed.  
I nodded. "I might know were to get some cats. There are some cats who live on a farm nearby. For now though, let's explore the tunnel system and memorize it."  
He nodded. "Good idea, I will ask the others to help explore." He went off.  
I stood up and went to explore on my own, I needed time to think without others nearby. Maybe we could make a clan, maybe not, but before we made a clan we had to know our territory. The thought of my old clan hurt, I had known ThunderClan for my whole life and by chance the twolegs had picked me up. I was a clan cat at heart too, but what place would accept me?  
I looked around and realized I hadn't paid attention to where I had been going. I was completely lost. Oh well, it was simply a matter of finding my way back, or out, and I wasn't going to starve down there. Fearlessly I traveled down the tunnels, but this time I payed attention to things. An hour or so later I found my way back.  
I found no one had come back yet so I took it upon my self to gather some moss and find us a place to sleep. I found a tunnel that quickly lead to a dead end and was close to the main place. I didn't smell my friends in it so they hadn't explored here yet. I found an exiting tunnel and gathered moss then went back.  
As I finished my task at hand I heard the sound of paws behind me. Looking over my shoulder I saw Dark. "Hello."  
"Hello." She meowed happily. "I seem to be having luck finding all the entrances to the tunnels."  
"We should keep track of them, and maybe fill a few." I meowed.  
"Agreed, but I should get to the real point of why I want to talk to you alone." She sighed.  
I looked at her quizzically, she didn't even mention talking to me alone. "Well talk." I shrugged.  
"Johnny mentioned that you might want to make a clan, and when I questioned him about clans he quoted what you said. I just want to say... I support the idea." She scuffled a paw. "I never lived with more then one cat, and that wasn't even for long."  
I realized Dark had never been open, she would say her opinions, then not talk. Doing this must have been hard for her and she was probably feeling awkward. I grinned. "I thank you for your support of this idea." I meowed.  
"From what he said, I feel like we are a clan. Even though Dusty nearly killed me, I realize it was an accident. I also want you to know though, if this clan thing does happen and we get more cats, I won't be the easiest to get along with. I never had a family." Dark said.  
From her body language even an idiot could tell how uncomfortable she was. I took a step forward. "A clan is a family that accepts you for you."  
A grin split across her face. "Good, because I am horrible at social interactions."  
I chuckled. "Now we just need to take this up with Dusty, but I have a feeling he will agree. Besides I remeber him mentioning wanting to be a clan."  
Dark nodded and walked off. I looked at the moss, we had somewhere to sleep, should I spend the rest of the day exploring? I disliked the thought of not doing something, I had grown used to action, even if it was as simple as walking. I exited the cave and decided to train my skills, just because I was a warrior it didn't mean I was a master of everything!  
I practiced with concentration, ignoring the world around me unless it demanded my attention. So focused was I that when my friends watched it took me ten minutes to notice them. I stopped somewhat embarssed, what if they thought I was showing off? Instead they seemed fascinated.  
"Could you teach us to fight like that?" Dusty asked.  
"Uh sure." I meowed. "All warriors should know how to fight." I added slyly.  
Dusty caught on and grinned. "Damn right, because we are going to be warriors, and make a clan!" He meowed with confidence.  
"So it is settled, we are a clan?" Johnny asked.  
"I believe so!" I purred.  
"So, who is the leader going to be?" Dusty asked eagerly.  
"I vote Redheart, she knows more about this clan stuff." Dark meowed  
"I also say Redheart!" Johnny meowed.  
"Redheart it is then." Dusty said.  
I looked at them surprised, they wanted me for leader? "Ar-are you sure?" I asked. "I mean, ThunderClan threw me out!"  
Dusty was scornful. "Bah, over something you could not control, you did nothing wrong!"  
"Yes, Dusty is right." Agreed Dark.  
I nodded. "Then I accept leadership." I said seriously. "I will need a deputy and medicine cat soon, and I will have to go to Moonpool."  
"Moonpool, the place where you receive your leader name and nine lives from StarClan, right?" Dusty asked.  
"Yes, I can go there tomorrow." I said.  
Dark perked up. "I might have found a way to travel closer underground!" She meowed.  
"I have to pass through WindClan territory." I admitted and told her the way to get there.  
"Ah yes, I have found a tunnel to travel closer to the border." She confirmed.  
A sigh of relief escaped us, no one wanted trouble so soon.  
"Do we get warrior names tonight?" Dusty asked excitedly.  
I nodded. "Yes, though the ceremony will be informal because I am not leader yet."  
"As long as I get my warrior name." He shrugged.  
So that night I did the ceremony. "Dusty, from now on you will be known as Dustcloud." I meowed and they cheered three times.  
"Dustcloud! Dustcloud! Dustcloud!"  
"Johnny, from now on you will be known as Silvermoon."  
"Silvermoon! Silvermoon! Silvermoon!"  
"Dark River, from now on you will be known as Darkpool."  
"Darkpool! Darkpool! Darkpool!"  
"StarClan, I give you three new warriors, please receive them as you would any other warrior!" I yowled to the sky.  
I saw a bright twinkle through the hole above us, and I knew in my heart our warrior ancestors approved.  
I looked at the cats before me. "Tomorrow before I leave I shall name a deputy."  
They nodded and we headed off to sleep. I was nervous though, what if I made the wrong choice, who should I choose? Sleep came quickly, but it was filled with dreams.

In the dream I was in a moonlit clearing. It was gorgeous and I felt safe, above me was a silver moon. I heard a roaring noise behind me and when I turned to look a raging dust storm was coming closer. It barreled over the pretty forest and blocked out the moon in its destruction. As it lifted me from the ground I woke.

It confused me, did it signal that if I made Silvermoon the deputy Dustcloud would just hurt him? Or if I made Silvermoon deputy that was the wrong choice and Dustcloud was stronger then him? I fretted as they woke up.  
"I made my choice!" I lied and fled into the main cave. I suppose I could call it camp now. I sat on a rock we shoved to the middle. When they were there I looked at the nervously. "Before we name the deputy we must name the clan."  
"You're the leader, you name it!" Dustcloud meowed.  
The others agreed with him. I paused, what could I possibly name this new clan? I looked around our new home, and in my heart. The name, it would be important for generations to come. "The name of our clan," I paused dramatically. "Will be, DarkClan! I name us this for our home, and the darkness of ThunderClan. They drove us here, and so we shall stay, in the protecting darkness of our caves!" I yowled.  
They cheered the clan name. "DarkClan! DarkClan! DarkClan!"  
"Now, our deputy will be Dustcloud. He has shown the strength needed to help out new clan. StarClan I say this before you, please accept my choice!" I meowed. No going back now.  
"Dustcloud!" The two cheered, no envy in there voices. They were trully happy for him.  
"Now I go to StarClan, Darkpool, please guide me to the exit you spoke of last night." I said with confidence I did not possess.  
Darkpool nodded and flicked her tail to follow. The journey went by quickly, and I hunted on the way. Usually a cat was not to eat before speaking with StarClan, but I felt the fog starting to creep up. When we reached the entrance, I said goodbye and continued on my own.  
I made it through WindClan ok, and followed the stream. Up I went, the cold slope threatening to take my warmth despite the green-leaf air. The closer I got the more anxious I became. What if StarClan rejected me and my clan? When I made it and went to sleep I prayed they would accept us.

"Rise, Redheart." A strong voice commanded.  
I rose and opened my eyes. Before me stood the whole of StarClan.  
"We accept your clan, for a StarClan is displeased with many things. For many generations the clans have become obsessed with purity, and perfection. Secretly some leaders have begun to kill imperfect kits and blame it on foxes or badgers bold enough to sneak close. This started only a couple of generations ago. ThunderClan has thrown you out for your imperfections." Brambleberry meowed.  
My mother stepped up, she had died when I was a kits along with my sister from green cough. "It gets worse. With this obsession of purity imbreeding has begun because it can't be avoided, if new cats are not accepted into the clans they can't bring in new blood. This leads to giving birth to insane and deformed kits."  
I shuddered, those signs were already showing. At my last gathering there was much talk of deformed kits.  
"StarClan accepts you because the clans need new blood to save them, and to update the warrior code. We try to tell the medicine cats but it is harder to reach them. The clans turn away from us, we fear, in order to pursue power. DarkClan needs to be different. DarkClan needs to be better and be the hope to save the clans." My mother finished.  
"Redheart, are you ready to accept your new life, nine lives, and leader name?" Brambleberry demanded.  
"I am ready." I managed to squeak.  
"Redheart, I give you this life for peace of mind, let the fog clog your mind no more and you make the correct decisions." Brambleberry touched my nose.  
Pain streaked through my head, the I felt as if I were sunshine itself. It was wonderful.  
My mother stepped forward. "I am so proud." She whispered, then continued. "I give you this life for understanding, let you understand others pain!" She meowed and touched my nose.  
A certain knowing flowed through me. I suddenly knew of Dustclouds ambition, I knew of Darkpools awkwardness, and of Silvermoons love... Love?! And I understood it all aw if I were them.  
"I give you this life for healing, may you teach the correct cat these special skills." My dead sister approached. She wasn't small and kit like, but full grown like me, with a short red pelt.  
She touched my nose and I felt aches, pains, coughs tearing through my chest. Along with it a knowledge of herbs that I could give to any cat, but would disappear after.  
A soft spoken cat I remembered from WindClan. "Creampaw?"  
"With this life I give you compassion, use it to show compassion to those alone and are in need." She said in her musical voice and touched my nose.  
I felt her pain at being denied food and love for being soft, shy, and her mother being a rogue. WindClan never gave her compassion, and she had died because of it.  
A kit with a limp approached. "I am Hopkit, with this life I give you knowledge, know how to correctly make decisions." He meowed and touched my nose.  
I felt frustration and rash acts, then I felt a calm fall over me, a knowing, common sense.  
My last few lives were for bravery, speed, hope, and confidence. Apparently I really needed confidence.  
"Redheart, StarClan now hails you by your new name, Redstar!" They meowed as one. "Redstar! Redstar! Redstar!" They chanted,  
I let my new name wash over me. Now that the ceremony was over I felt wonderful, the pain had been worth it. When they stopped chanting I grinned widely at Brambleberry. "I will Carry out StarClans wishes." I vowed.  
"Then listen to this message, make the cross clan laws. You can't stop love, don't try to, so if a cat loves one from another clan don't forbid them, help them." Brambleberry meowed and I woke up.

A new power flowed through my veins and I felt strong. A new kind of confidence filled me. With my clan behind me, I could do anything! With my new knowledge I could do anything! I was the new leader of DarkClan, I was Redstar!


	8. Chapter 8: Four clans, four problems

**So, yeah, eight chapters. Well, I read a comment and it made me think, yeah that guy is right it is kind of a risk to give nine lives to an insane cat, well, slightly insane. At times. Getting her nine lives is supposed to help her, but today we aren't focusing on Redstar! Today I am going to paint a picture of how messed up the clans are in the future :D. They are pretty messed up :P. This takes place over a moon. I kind of did a crappy job with this chapter. Also school is back on, if you get three updates during the week please don't complain, it won't make me update faster.**

_Silentwind P.O.V._

I walked out of the warriors den, my black pelt bristling in fear. I have short scruffy fur that didn't like to stay down and orange eyes like fire. Today I sensed something was very wrong, and some of my fellow warriors did too. WindClan was harsh, a hasher clan then the others.  
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around to hear my words!" Heatherstar ordered.  
We gathered around obediently, not speaking a word. Apparently WindClan used to be a kinder clan, but now we wouldn't speak without being told to. Some warriors though, they liked this, because they were the favorites. They followed Heatherstar and the deputy, Flowerseed, blindly. They also killed without question, even if it was a kit.  
"A moon ago the queen Firespirit had given birth to deformed kits. Firespirit, bring them forward!" He curled his lips in detaste.  
Trembling, the queen who happened to be my friend brought them forward. "Here they are." She meowed.  
He looked at them, like it was there fault for being born like so. One kit was perfectly fine, but the fear of bad blood was great so he also would receive the same fate as his sisters. One sister was missing an ear, the other was missing an eye. Bad blood somehow, but they could have been warriors.  
"Being merciful, I will simply kick them out." Heatherstar meowed. "Your kits have bad blood and you are forbidden to have another litter." He said. "Meeting dismissed."  
Firewisp let out an agonized wail while some warriors lead her kits away. I wanted to comfort her, but then the clan would scorn me too. Something crossed my mind than, a clan was a community that helped one another, and Firewisp needed her friend. Boldly I walked up to her and laid a tail on her shoulder.  
"Am I bad?" She asked.  
I shook my head. "You are good, but there has been a plague of hurt kits. I think StarClan is displeased." I admitted.  
"You are no medicine cat, do not let them hear you guess StarClans will." Firewisp sneered.  
I shrugged. "They don't even want me near you, but we are friends." I meowed. "I say ignore them for a while, maybe a few hours."  
She grinned weakly. "Maybe." She walked off, and I had a bad feeling it would take moons for her to truly recover.  
I left the clan with plans to hunt.

_Hawkstrike P.O.V._

"Hawkstrike, patrol!" The deputy yelled in.  
I jumped up. "On it." I promised and ran out. Today we would hunt the mighty fox that had been bothering our clan.  
Fangstar would be leading our patrol, which was an honor. "Get ready cats, and keep an eye out for Redheart." She sneered the name. "She might come back for her revenge." She laughed, and the others joined her.  
I felt kind of bad, I liked Redheart, she was kind and brave. A rare combination.  
We set out at a fast pace, eager to drive out, or kill the fox. We followed the scent, and made plenty of noise, confident with our numbers. A fox couldn't take on ten cats! I held back a confident laugh as we followed the trail. As we got closer though, the smell of milk came to our noses.  
We approached the fox who was enjoyed some prey. Fangstar let out a feral yowl and launched herself at the fox, attaching her claws in its face. We streamed in after her, overwhelming the fox. The continued scratching and enemies not staying down after a weak hit scared the fox off. We let her run away into WindClan territory.  
I heard a yelping, and so did other warriors. Carefully we searched for the source and found two fox cubs. They were young, which explained the milk scent. The fox we drove off was a mother!  
Fangstar grinned viciously. "We found treasure! Kill them, now!" She demanded and walked off.  
A nasty warrior named Bluepelt glared at the fox cubs. " I hate foxes, let me kill them." He meowed.  
We shrugged, what ever got the job done. When he went up to the fox cubs though, I felt suddenly uncertain. What was Bluepelt planning? I saw the others leaving, confident in Bluepelt, but I wasn't. I stayed in the shadows, staying as still as a statue so he wouldn't notice me.  
Bluepelt gleefully approached the defenseless foxes. He didn't kill them, but instead he picked one up and tossed it towards the den celling. It squealed in pain as it hit the celling, then the ground with a light thump. He laughed in horrible joy.  
A paw flew out towards the fox and he batted it towards the wall, killing it on impact. My stomach heaved at the way he was killing the cubs, why didn't I intervene? Why didn't I act!? Bluepelt rounded on the other cub and grinned like a psychopath. No doubt he had some sick plan for that cub too.  
Bluepelt didn't bother with killing it, he took the fox out of the den and carried it like a kit. I followed at a slow pace, not letting him know I was there. Bluepelt walked to the lake and I stared on in fear. The sick bastard dropped the fox in the lake, then took it out. He repeated the process until the poor cub died of exhaustion.  
I looked away in shame. Why didn't I call out and kill it mercifully myself? Then I knew why, because ThunderClan wouldn't care, only one cat would have and she had been exiled. My supposedly perfect clan had a rotten core, and no one cared. I walked away from the crime scene, maybe I would look for something to give me hope.

_Nightfur P.O.V._

I lay in the nursery with my beautiful kits curled near me. I loved them so much, my three moon old kittens. Purring happily I let sleep take me.  
When I woke in the morning I looked at my stomach with love, to check on my kits. My pelt bristled in horror, where were my lovely kits! I jumped up and looked around, they weren't in the nursery. I sniffed the air, the scent was stale. There scent and Longstar, the leader of ShadowClan.  
I burst from the nursery and looked around wildly, my kits weren't in the clearing. I checked the whole clan and couldn't find them, when someone noticed my search. "What are you doing Nightfur?" Longstar purred in amusement.  
"My kits, they are missing!" I wailed.  
Longstar flicked his tail boredly. "Oh them? I made them into apprentices. Did you already forget what I did with the last litter to reach three moons of age?" He asked shocked.  
My blood ran cold, yes, I had forgotten the horrible incident. The newly made apprentices had been taken for battle training, with full grown warriors. They stood no chance, and only one of the four kits survived. I played it cool though and simply nodded my head.  
When Longstar had left me for about half and hour I left camp as if I were going out to hunt, best not to arouse suspicion. Once outside the camp though, I found my kits trail. To my horror, I noticed the deputys' scent with them. The deputy, was a mean cat who enjoyed playing with his food before catching it, if Hollowtree was the mentor of one of my kits… I couldn't bare the thought!  
I followed them to the training area and smelled blood. Unsheathed claws, my fear grew. I looked into the training area and saw Hollowtree looming over the weakest of my three kits. "Again!" He snarled.  
He whimpered and lunged at his brother. His brother reacted, and dodged slowly. They moved sluggishly and this displeased Hollowtree.  
"Faster!" He demanded. "Or must I motivate you?" He unsheathed his claws and I gasped.  
"Don't hurt my kit!" I pleaded and walked in.  
Hollowtree sneered. "Back off Nightfur, I train them now." With that his huge paw flew at my weakest kit and hit him in the head.  
My kit flew into the nearest tree and I reached over. Oh my kit, my poor kit! I looked down and whispered. "Wake up Marshkit, wake up."  
He didn't move and my other two kits came over. "Why isn't he breathing, mommy?" His sister asked.  
I looked at his chest, it wasn't moving, and I didn't hear him breathing. "Wake up baby!" I begged my lifeless kit. "Hollowtree won't hurt you ever again, I promise!"  
Hollowtree came over to poke my kit. "He is dead, you idiot. You two, with me." He ordered my kits.  
The protective mother in me came out. "Back off my kits!" I raged.  
Hollowtree looked at me with shock, as if he couldn't believe I was ordering him around. Didn't he understand how much kits mean to a mother? I took a protective stance over my two remaining kits. Unsheathed claws was no way to train, and these kits were 3 moons old too boot.  
"Another idiot in ShadowClan dead." He shrugged and lunged at me.  
I rolled with him. "Run! Tell the medicine cats!" I screeched to my kits, and watched them flee.  
I clawed at his exposed stomach when he tried to pin me down. He held me down with strong paws though, and was much bigger than I. Hollowtree began to gouge long claw marks into my stomach and I yelled with pain. The deputy was a better fighter than me, and I knew it, but I sacrificed myself for my kits.  
I stopped fighting quickly, the pain was too much. Soon it made me black out and before I did I felt myself bleeding to death. Goodbye ShadowClan, if I survive this, I will get my kits back and leave before they died like there brother.

_Stripefur P.O.V._

RiverClan was relaxed and confident. We had every right to feel we were the best, because we were, right? Wrong. There was a new system in the clan, and it had been there for three leaderships, which lasted very long. There were new ranks too, two new ranks. The Secrets, who watched for traitors, and the Elites, who were the most loyal and followed blindly.  
Secrets were everywhere too, in the nursery, the apprentices, and the warriors. Even our medicine cat could have been a secret and we would never know. My best friend, if I had one, could be a secret and I wouldn't know. They had no special privileges besides having a better chance of being deputy. They always found out your deepest secret though, and they told the clan leader everything.  
Elite were the known warriors, who didn't have special privileges, but it wasn't wise to cross them. To be elite was to be better supposedly, but everyone knew you just had to always agree with the leader and deputy. It was annoying and everyone hated them, if they weren't on there good side. Me, I was never picking sides and everyone hated me for it.  
Inside RiverClan there was a civil war brewing, the leaders and deputies were picked by how much the leader liked them, rarely by skill or how much effort they put into the clan. Warriors disliked them and a silent war raged on. I just sat there though, hunting and patrolling.  
Finally the leader, Fishstar, had discovered a plot. With the rebels unearthed almost all of them had been killed or exiled. He never did find them all, but the rest became to scared to act out. As always I didn't pick a side. This time I would pay for that.

"You look pretty nervous today." Minnowstripe commented. He was a large burly tom with a grey pelt and dull yellow eyes.  
I shrugged. "Not really. I feel like today is like any other."  
Minnowstripe eyed me, today was supposed to be the assassination attempt, but they were found out. Since then the elite had taken a large disliking to me. He left the warriors den and I soon followed. Let them wallow in suspicions, I just wanted to serve my clan and the present leader.  
I decided to do some hunting and I was going to leave when a popular she-cat named Moonglow asked to join me.  
"Sure." I replied.  
She was as pretty as her name suggested. A pure silvery white pelt that was shinny and always well groomed. She had two large blue eyes that could melt most toms hearts, not mine though. I never got a crush on cats so shallow. She was as shallow as she was pretty too, so I often ignored her.  
We got to the river and she eyed it. "I'm not sure I want to ruin my pretty pelt in hunting. I mean, aren't I so pretty?" She sighed delicatly.  
"Yes, and everyone knows it." I meowed calmly. I couldn't bring myself to insult someone so… Naive.  
I struck out a paw and caught a fish. I dragged it out and killed it, then admired my prise. One large fish, enough to feed a heavily pregnant queen.  
"Oh, thats such a big catch!" She complimented me.  
"Thanks." I meowed and went back to eying the water. Minutes later I caught a much smaller, common fish. Minutes after that I caught another one.  
"Could we share one?" She asked in her light breezy voice. It suggested friendship and kindness, but I knew the type of cat she was.  
"Ok." I meowed and set it down.  
Dear StarClan she even ate prettily. With small delicate quick bites she ate her half. There was no mess, if that was ever possible. I ate it like a normal cat though, in large noisy bites as I enjoyed the flavors.  
"So. Today would of been the assassination of our glorious leader." She meowed and began to groom her already perfect fur.  
"It was stopped though." I meowed. "No one is going to kill her today unless another clan attacks for no reason."  
"Point taken, though there are still murmurs that some brave cat should try." She meowed.  
I silently wondered how she knew what the word murmur meant while I answered. "Yeah, try and die." I snorted. "To many elites."  
She sighed dreamily. "Those elites are sooo strong. Maybe I will take one on as a mate." She added slyly while eying me, hoping to get a reaction probably.  
I didn't care much for mates. "I am no expert there." I told her.  
"No expert? I could teach you." She giggled madly.  
The conversation was starting to annoy me, but I kept my temper on a tight leash. "No thanks." I declined.  
She poked me with a claw, but didn't harm me. "You are no fun!" She complained. "Why are you so… Neutral?"  
"Because I have no need to take a side. I just want to be a good warrior." I snapped back. Wow, she was getting on my nerves.  
She suddenly looked worried. "Shh, speak carefully. If you don't pledge your loyalty to Fishstar…"  
She trailed off and I got suspicious. Why was she acting like so, and why did she even want to come with me? I was a nobody everyone hated, and she had accidentally hinted twice that she was brighter than she appeared. Twice, no bright cat would slip up twice.  
"Are you a secret?" I asked in a whisper.  
Her eyes were scared. "Tell no one." She ordered and left.  
I shuddered. Finding out a secret could be consider traitorous, and cats already hated me. I was screwed, I had to leave! Jumping up I ran away from the river, and accidentally bumped into a patrol, with one elite in it.  
"Why you in a hurry, Stripefur?" The elite, Fuzzybur spat.  
I acted calm. "I wanted to see how fast I was." I replied.  
"How fast are you?"  
"Fairly fast." I shrugged.  
"Finish this patrol with us." He ordered.  
Since I had no satisfactory excuse to decline, I followed along, acting as if all was normal. All wasn't normal though, at this moment they could be plotting my exile or death. When we finished the patrol and got home a meeting was called.  
"All cats old enough to swim on their own, join us for a clan meeting!" Fishstar meowed.  
We gathered below, curious to who was going to get killed or exiled next.  
"A secret has been found, and she will be exiled today for failing at her duties. The tom who found the secrets true identity shall be exiled with her."  
My bones went wobbly with relief of not getting killed, but soon my relief vanished at his next words.  
"But not before we teach them a lesson." He growled. "Elites, bring up the two cats!" Fishstar ordered.  
The elites who were at camp brought us before the leader. I glared at Moonglow. "You told and risked yourself?" I hissed.  
"Not I, another secret." She meowed with a bowed head.  
"To beat fear into your bones, we are going to beat you and throw you out." Fishstar explained. "Elites, teach them a lesson!"  
The elites tore us up. The beating was harsh, and felt like it went on for hours instead of minutes. We were bloody and bruised by the time it was over though, so Fishstar was happy.  
"Cast them out." He meowed.  
They dragged us out of camp and threw us on the ground. "You have until sunset to flee!" They cackled and left us.  
I looked at Moonglow. "You really aren't that shallow are you? I can't stand stupid cats."  
"No, now lets leave. I can prove my brains to you later when we are out of this territory." She meowed.  
"Agreed."


	9. Chapter 9: Trash

**Ugh, sorry for the short chapter. Next update will go back to regular length, I swear! Also sunken, that is a seriously good idea o.O In my spare time I might work on it. Spare time, usually lunch because I have a small stomach and can get into line quickly XD!**

DarkClan had already gotten new members, each from different clans. They told me of the cruelty in their clans, and how half the cats in them lacked the true warrior spirit. It was sad, and true. I was sure that all the cats in DarkClan were true warriors though.  
We also had to find a nursery for the badly wounded queen and her remaining kit. Two of her kits had died in ShadowClan, one out of cruelty, the other as punishment. Surely that punishment was cruelty too though?  
I was amazed at myself for only seeing the problems after leaving, maybe because an outsider needs to look in to see the problem? Well, we were all outsiders now in a sense. DarkClan had not made itself known to the other four clans yet. This up coming full moon I felt confident enough to go to the island and tell the other clans of DarkClan.  
Before we went though, we needed a medicine cat. StarClan had given me the knowledge to heal, but it was fading, and I needed to tell someone soon. I thought over all possible choices, but no one seemed to have the healing ability. They were warriors, not healers!  
A thought then entered my head, who was not a fighter? Who was the worst possible fighter here, the one who was least interested in warrior training? Darkpool! I raced into the warriors den and gently woke her. "Come with me please." I meowed and went into my den.  
She arrived. "Yes?"  
"Do you think you are cut out to be a fighter?" I asked gently.  
She scuffed her paw on the ground. "Honostly? No, but I thought that maybe you would still allow me to stay here. If you want me to leave..."  
"No!" I meowed. "Goodness, no! I had a different thing in mind. You could be our medicine cat."  
She looked surprised. "Isn't that a religious role too? I am not sure I believe in StarClan."  
"Leaders also receive signs." I soothed her. "One you get an apprentice, that cat can receive signs too."  
"Ok... What do I do?" She asked.  
I told her all about the herbs. It was like a headache going away, telling her this knowledge and letting it go for good. I told her how we would go to the Moonpool at half moon for her ceremony. She might not believe in StarClan, but the other clans had to know that DarkClan had an active medicine cat too.

The full moon came and I gathered the cats. "Tonight, all but two go. Moon glow, you stay here with Nightfur and her kit." I ordered. "Besides, no need to anger RiverClan by taking in there secret."  
Moonglow looked at me determinedly. "Actually, Redstar, I request that you tell RiverClan you have me in DarkClan. Then tell the other clans of RiverClan and their secrets and elites."  
"I am sorry, but for now I must deny. This moon we introduce DarkClan, next moon we can purposefully stir up trouble." I grinned.  
The others chuckled a little, but quickly went silent.  
"Now we leave." I meowed and we walked out.  
The journey was short for we didn't cover the hole near the tree bridge, though it was hidden and our scents were hidden by the damp before exiting the tunnels. No one would track us back, if I could help it. We crossed before the other clans and I climbed the tree.  
The other clans entered warily, eyeing us with confusion. They recognized their own cats, why were these outcasts all together? Fangstar and ThunderClan entered last, she looked up angrily. "Why do you sit in the leaders tree, Redheart?" She spat.  
I looked down cooly. "Redstar. For I am a leader now, leader of the hidden clan!"  
"Oh, so what are you called, HiddenClan?" She asked mockingly.  
"DarkClan." I hissed. "For we stalk the dark and live in it too. Now will you climb this tree or stay down there with your warriors?" I challenged her.  
She raced up the tree as if she were running. She stood next to me bodily and growled. "If not for the full moon, you would be shredded."  
I grinned sweetly. "I know."  
The other leaders observed us calmly. If war broke out, more territory for them, right? And if DarkClan tried to claim the spoils of war, they would just hurt my small clan too, right? Wrong, for there would be no war, not yet.  
"Let the meeting begin!" Coughed the elder Fishstar.  
Cats went silent and looked up.  
"RiverClan thrives, but we banished two traitors. It appears DarkClan had taken in our trash. Nothing else to report."  
Heatherstar stepped forward next, he was fairly young but older then the other two leaders. "WindClan has lost one cat, it seems Silentwind prefers to hang out with exiled trash though." He meowed thoughtfully. "All is good besides that."  
"Oh, and you killed three kits, one was perfectly fine too." I added, hoping to get some shocked feedback. The cats however remained silent, but some did look uneasy at the though of kit killers.  
He growled, "Bad blood." Like it explained everything and stepped back.  
Longstar stepped forward. "ShadowClan lost two cats in training, the mother of them fled taking her kit with her. Tell me, has DarkClan taken in the trashy queen?" He asked.  
"They were kits, only six moons. She informed me that one was killed to punish her, not killed in a training accident. Unless you say your deputy is out of control?" I accused.  
Longstar bristled. "Only the best lead ShadowClan!" He spat but stepped back.  
I noticed the full moon rule was the only rule they seemed to refused to break. Maybe they liked to keep there dirty activities private, with only there clan to know? Or Mayhap they thought by respecting this one very important law they could be forgiven for there other actions? I did not know, for I was not a corrupt leader.  
Fangstar stepped forward, openly glaring at me with hate. "You take in trash, runaways or exiled cats. You yourself was exiled for being dangerous and insane. Now you come here claiming you have leadership and a clan? StarClan only wants four clans here!"  
"They need a fifth clan!" I spat. "DarkClan takes in your so called trash, because trully they are amazing cats with better hearts then you four leaders combined!" I glared at Heatherstar. "Favorites? Bad blood? Bah, you have bad blood!" I turned my furious yellow gaze on Fishstar. "Ever thought why your cats might wish to kill you, besides the want for power?" Their secret was on the verge of my tounge, but I did not tell. I looked at Longstar instead. "Your deputy is a kit killer and you stand back to do nothing! The warrior code demands you protect kits!" I snarled. I turned to the crowd before me. "DarkClan exists for those who are true warriors and wish to save the warrior code! There are no favorites or elites, just hard workers! We might live in the dark, but we see the light of truth better then any of you! Meeting dismissed!" I yelled.  
The cats glared at me and their fur stood on end. If not for the moon we would have all died that night. One by one they left while we meet their glares with our own. Let them try to find us, we were DarkClan, and we would stay hidden.  
Once every one was long gone, I lead us through the shadows on high alert. No one could find our entrance, or we would be dead! Once safely at out destination I checked the air twice and we entered the tunnels. Time to share the news.


	10. Chapter 10: Romance and Secrets

**I am going to end this story early. I feel that I rushed this book to much, and I don't want to redo it. I might write a second book though, a way better written book than this. Sorry folk, so after this chapter there is going to be an ending that lasts two or three chapter. I am glad you liked it though, and I promise if I write a second book, it WILL be better then this one, and it will probably be from the p.o.v of *spoiler* Restars kit, Venomkit. It will also be in third person -.- Writing ni first person is fun sometimes, but I find it WAY easier to write it in third. Also less confusing with the, do I write it past tense like thiiis? Ok I will stop typing this message, here is the chapterrrrrrr!**

I gathered the clan. "So, as expected they all hate us." I meowed.

"Will we be safe down here?" Silentwind asked.

"We should be if we do not go above ground, for the half moon Darkpool will travel until she is just outside of WindClan. The other medicine cats will not attack her, besides Darkpool can escape if they do break the code." I meowed confidently.

They nodded. Hunting in the tunnels would be hard, but it could be done. Rats, mice, and voles lived everywhere in the tunnels if you could find them. Since we were all still new to the tunnels we had to develop new hunting techniques. I pondered who might be the best hunter to do this. Probably the ShadowClan cat.

Over the next moon I watched my clan grow slowly and evolve. They went from barely trusting one another to defending them like a family member. I suspected that soon we would have more kits on they way, Stripefur and Moonglow seemed close. Nightfur's kit, Glowingkit, would soon be old enough to train.

We visited the barn and convinced three more cats to join us, one cat was pregnant. We moved her into the nursery and the other two into the warriors den. We could now hold off a small attack, but not if a whole clan attacked. 20 against 12 was not good odds.

Soon the half-moon came and went, Darkpool had been accepted by the other medicine cats, this didn't affect them really. That passed too, and with apprentices now in the clan, it felt whole. The only thing we needed were elders, and every rank would be filled. Well, we didn't need them, but it would be nice for the future kits to hear stories.

Taking care of the clan and soothing there worries was a full time job, and Silvermoon wasn't helping. Last night he had entered my den when everyone was asleep and confessed that he liked me, more than the other cats. I got embarrassed and sent him away quickly, but I think I might like him back.

Dustcloud entered my den. "Hey Redstar, do you mind if I put you on a hunting patrol?" He asked.

I covered a look of surprise. "Not at all, I can't just sit here all day on my butt." I meowed.

He grinned. "I am glad you agree! Hunting patrol at sunhigh, you are leading Silvermoon and Nightfur." Dustcloud walked off without another word.

I was glad he left quickly, it would be shameful for him to see my expression. He put me on a patrol with Silvermoon? I didn't think I could handle that. I exited my den and looked up at the sky through the hole, it was already nearing Sunhigh. Shit. Telling my self to relax I greeted Nightur.

"Want to leave a bit early? Won't hurt anything." She meowed tentatively.

I nodded. "Good idea. Silvermoon, we are leaving early!" I meowed loudly, drawing his attention.

He jumped up and joined us. "Lets walk." He purred.

We walked from the camp confidently, we owned these tunnels, nothing would harm us down here! Though for a while some cats were worried a fox would find the tunnels and decide to live down here, there was proof of that happening before. I told them to stop worrying, that was why we were warriors, to fight! We could drive out any stupid fox that came near our camp.

Soon we had gathered one piece of preyl each, proof that we were adapting to the tunnels and getting better at living down here. Nightfur muttered something about going ahead while I concentrated on a nearby mouse. As I got ready to pounce Silvermoon made a noise loud enough to scare it off. I looked at him angrily.

"I could of caught that if yo-"

"Hadn't made that noise? I know, but this is more important than prey." He meowed, cutting me off. "About last night, I am sorry that if I creeped you out, but I love you! You can't send me off this time either. I want and answer." Silvermoon was being unusually assertive.

I frowned. "Not wise to boss me around." I warned him.

"Because you are clan leader? I knew you when you were trapped in the lab." He said dismissively.

I sighed, it seemed this time I couldn't order him away, leader or not. "Silvermoon, I can't be your mate, even if I want to. I am leader."

"You are avoiding a real answer. Even if you wanted to, don't you want too?" He pressed for a satisfactory answer.

"Maybe..?" I supplied weakly.

"Simple yes or no answer." He meowed.

"Well, I uh. Need more time to decide! I mean, mates are serious things."

He growled in frustration. "Ok, ok, off the mate question, do you love me? We don't have to be mates, but I want to know."

I shuffled my paws. "I, I, guess so." I meowed quitely.

He let out a sigh of relief. "I just wanted to know. I love you Redstar, I really truly do." Silvermoon said.

"We should uh, get back to hunting." I suggested awkwardly.

Suddenly Nightfur ran in. "Fox!" She yelled.

My fur bristled. "Where?"

Her eyes were wide. "The dampness down here made it hard to track, but I think it is near the ThunderClan exit."

I nodded. "Figured, ThunderClan gets a lot of foxes, it is the forest." I meowed. "We need to track it down now and drive it off before it gets settled in."

Silvermoon shook, he had never been in a serious fight before. "How do we fight it in cramped tunnel space?" He whispered.

I grinned suddenly. "Why, we live down here, we should figure out some useful moves, no? This is the perfect time to. Lets get going." I urged.

"This way." Nightfur meowed and ran off.

I followed determinedly. I had forgotten I couldn't fight with others near me, I could harm them. We soon arrived to the place where Nightfur first smelled the fox. Sniffing the air, I was greeted with the strong stench of fox. Curling my lips in distaste we it followed silently until soon I could hear fox paws scratching at the hard ground.

I snarled loudly, the presence of a threat making me very territorial. We cornered the fox. Usually we would need four cats for such a thing, for safety and all, but I felt confident we could drive the fox off now. Then Silvermoon remembered too late.

"Redstar, no, we must turn back now!" He meowed, fear in his eyes.

It was too late though, the fox had noticed us and was beginning to advanced. I look back the narrow tunnel. I was in the lead, this fox would hit me first… "Nightfur, Silvermoon, retreat now!" I ordered.

Nightfur shook her head. "No, you need us." She insisted.

I felt guilty, I hadn't fully explained why I was exiled from ThunderClan. "Silvermoon, take her and explain my condition." I meowed stiffly and turned my head back to the fox.

I could hear Nightfurs yowls of protest as he dragged her away by her tail, since he was unable to grab her scruff. I concentrated on the threat before me and laughed at it softly. "Poor little fox, don't you know I am a monster?"

It lunged at me, and the second its claws flew lightly over my pelt causing a shallow wound the monster was unleashed with a fury. I had hidden it too long, and the fog, that seemed to have evolved in a sense, took over my mind. I screeched my anger and clawed its face with surprising strength, it must of been the anger. It was a short but blood filled battle.

Since it came after me in the shorter tunnel, it was unable to jump or move much. That gave me the advantage, I was smaller by far and I could move and jump, I had enough room to turn around in a circle. I lunged at the fox, who was walking backwards in effort to find a place with more room, and latched onto its throat.

My fangs sunk in, piercing its jugular vein. I held on while it shook for a few seconds, then collapsed. The monster in me enjoyed its death and blood, drinking until I was full. Soon though, the advanced fog retreated, but a tiny tiny bit was left behind. To tiny for me to notice at that moment.

I looked in horror at the spilt blood. That wasn't right, cats didn't take down foxes alone, no it had to be because the fox was too big and couldn't even turn around. I firmly convinced myself of that and walked back to camp, but not before cleaning my pelt.

I stumbled into camp and saw curious eyes. Darkpool rushed forward and checked my pelt.

"Only a shallow scratch?" She asked in disbelief. "I know you are a good fighter but…"

"It couldn't even turn around." I meowed. "I could spin in a full circle, it couldn't." I said.

She nodded her head. "Ok, that makes a lot more sense. Follow me so I can dress that wound."

I followed her tiredly. When we were in there alone I blurted out what happened. "The fog, I think in the time I have left it alone, which has been for a few moons, it has changed. It made me so angry, and it scares me."

"There there, could it possibly be that since you haven't had to deal with the fog for such a long time it was more intense then it is?" She soothed me.

I shrugged. "Maybe." I admitted.

She finished with cleaning my wound, which had started to stop bleeding. "You are fine then, so go and tell the clan problem taken care of."

I stood up stiffly. "Ok." I said and walked out. I jumped on the rock. "All old enough to wander the tunnels come here for a clan meeting!" I ordered.

They gathered around, waiting for my explanation of todays strange events.

I sighed. "I haven't been honest." I admitted. "You have heard that I was exiled for being to dangerous, but why was I too dangerous? The truth is, that when I was in the lab the twolegs, they affected my mind. When in a battle, or if I don't eat soon enough, this thing called the fog, it settles into my mind and drives me insane." I stopped.

"I mean no disrespect, but how can we trust you in a battle?" Hawkflight called out.

I looked him in the eye. "You can't. You can never trust me in battle, for I will turn on you."

He fell silent, but others spoke up.

"What is a leader if she can't fight?" Stripefur meowed, all serious. "Leaders are always at the head of battles."

Dustcloud stood up to defend me. "She just killed a fox!" He snarled. "She will defend this clan in anyway possible, but others can't be nearby."

"I trust her." Silvermoon, who had become quite popular in the clan, said.

"Stop!" I yelled. "My triggers are blood and battle. You can trust me, I would never hurt you on purpose. You needn't be afraid of this. Have I hurt any of you yet?" I asked the last part softly.

They shook their heads no. I had not hurt them, I had helped them and only that. I gave them all a caring kind home, where no one was discriminated against. This was probably the only reason they let me stay, I would never ask the reason.

"Meeting dismissed, unless you have any questions." I meowed.

"One," Silentwind meowed. "What happens when we are invaded?"

"They shouldn't find us down here, but if they do, I go first." I meowed. "It is they only was to keep you all safe."

"I protest this!" Silvermoon yelled.

I glared at him. "Well don't! I have nine lives, you only have one. They can kill me once and I will come back, but if I accidentally kill one of you, I wont ever come back." I said hotly.

They disbanded and I entered my den for a nap.


	11. Chapter 11: EndPart1, The Battle

**Beginning of the end! Two part ending!**

Moons passed, and then a year. Kits were born, apprentices were made, and so was one new warrior. The clans had finally stopped calling us TrashClan, when they saw it didn't bother us. Now it was another full moon, and we were getting ready to leave. Little did I know this would be the beginning of a long long three days.

It had been an eventful year, and sometimes we had a few close calls at gatherings when clans tried to learn out where we lived. I had agreed to be Silvermoons mate, though it took a long time, and my kits had only just been weaned. I had three strong kits, two boys and one girl. The boy who looked like me was called Hawkkit, the other who had a plain silvery pelt was Roaringkit, and the girl who didn't look like us at all was Venomkit. She looked more like my parents, bright green eyes and a pure black pelt. Silvermoon mentioned his mother also had green eyes.

"Mosspaw, Thornpaw, Blackpaw, Glowingstone, Silvermoon, Darkpool, Dustcloud, Hawkflight, Silentwind, Nightfur, and Stripefur! You are all going to the gathering." I ordered, naming nearly all the clan. This left four grown warriors here at camp. Oh and one elder, who was a grumpy loner we took in. He didn't know warrior stories, but he had plenty of stories about doing the correct thing.

We filled out and walked to the island, as usual we were the first cats there so we waited patiently. Soon the other three clans came, RiverClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan, but no sign of ThunderClan. After waiting ten minutes the new leader of RiverClan, Greystar, suggested we start without them.

Just then ThunderClan came waltzing in, acting confident. Fangstar jumped up next to me and grinned at me. "I declare war on ThunderClan!"

I shrugged. "Why so happy then?" I asked.

She laughed. "Because we have found out your location. That was why we were so late."

I bristled. "Lies! You are too dumb to do that."

Fangstar sneered. "Wanna bet? Why don't you tell the others now, since we already know."

"Why don't you tell them if you know!" I snapped back.

She laughed. "Because I want to make you suffer by having you tell them."

I shook my head at her stupidity. "Then I just won't tell them and only you will know, and DarkClan can take ThunderClan on any day!"

"Fine. ThunderClan thrives, and we are leaving early!" She yowlled and gathered her clan, leaving.

"Is she allowed to do that?" Heatherstar wondered, then went on. "WindClan thrives, no bad blood here!"

"RiverClan thrives, two new kits."

"ShadowClan thrives, one new apprentice."

"DarkClan thrives, one new warrior, Glowingstone is here with us tonight," I meowed smugly. The warrior that was now mine, could have been ShadowClan's. "Oh, and before we all leave at the request of Moonglow, I will now reveal something. RiverClan has two extra ranks, secrets and elites. You will never spot a secret, but elites are the blind followers who always agree with the leader." I meowed. "Moonglow was once a secret, and these were the secrets when she left. Palepelt, Splashmuzzle, Waveheart, and Snowshimmer."

Greystar bristled. "If ThunderClan was still here, they would suddenly have gained an alley." He spat. "Gathering is dismissed."

They left while DarkClan laughed silently. They would ally with ThunderClan, then fight with them. Allys didn't last long, just same point of views, and everyone hated DarkClan. When they had been gone for a while we finally left. No one would stalk us into our tunnels.

We had just entered a tunnel when one cat hissed alert. Quickly we exited and I saw a cat run away. Someone had found our home! I sniffed the air, and the smell of ThunderClan came to my nose. This had been planned, if they couldn't trick me earlier, then they would just hide a few cats all over or have one stalk us when we thought they had all gone home. It was too late to catch the cat now too.

"Hurry, prepare for an attack! Someone put brambles all over this, no cat is to use the other entrances." I ordered. "Into the tunnels once you have covered the entrance with all the nearby brambles! It's a good thing Dustcloud suggested putting brambles into every entrance to the camp!"

I jumped into the tunnels and ran ahead of the returning warriors to warn the last few cats. "Hide the kits!" I yowled. "ThunderClan is going to attack!"

They put the kits into a hidden tunnel that took us half of forever to find, we didn't even cover the entrance with brambles, only later in it would they encounter brambles. I also put the grumpy elder in there, he promised to protect the kits with his life. He might of been anti-social to the rest of the clan, but he had a soft spot for kits, especially Hawkkit.

My warriors retreated into the camp and we got ready for an attack. Brambles were everywhere in the tunnels now, and the warriors had closed the gaps in them so they would have to tear them open first. The first wave of cats from ThunderClan would be coming in with bloody paws.

"Redstar, I heard the warriors talking and…" Dustcloud came up. "Since we still have a little time before the attack-"

"We aren't sure of that." I meowed.

"Whatever." He meowed gruffly. "Let me get to the point then, we don't want you taking part. We want you to guard the kits."

I froze. "No…" I whispered.

"You must." He urged.

"No… My clan, I must be at front!"

"So you can tear us apart? Sorry Redstar, but you must be the ultimate last line of defense."

"I WILL BE THE FIRST LINE!" I roared. Yelling, but not as loud, I went on. "Back into your dens, now! When I die you are to come out and fight, but only then!"

They did not question me, for the lightning dancing in my eyes. They fled into their dens, and I knew they were fleeing from me. I was showing the monster. Soon I would show the same monster to ThunderClan.

Ten minutes later of uncomfortable silence we heard pawsteps thundering down the tunnels, and much cursing. They had meet our bramble defence, I grinned savagely at this fact. The thing the fog had left behind, I felt it, and I grasped it. I would need it I felt, I would need this, spark? Yes a spark in the fog. I would make it into a fire.

Fangstar burst in first. "ATT- Oh, just you?" She laughed harshly.

I meet her gaze with a calm smile, I was sitting down. "Why yes, it is just me." I meowed.

She was unnerved by this, but did a good job at hiding it mostly. "So, has TarshClan fled you? Ha! An exiled clan, they knew we were here to kill you all and steal your kits!" She laughed again.

I shook my head. "Turn back now Fangstar, there is only a monster here. No cats, just a monster in front of you." I said.

Fangstar looked at the gathering warriors. "What, you think you can take on a clan? Monster or not, you can't defeat ThunderClan one-pawed."

I got up and stretched lazily. "Glad you see that, but I will kill you before I die." I said.

She growled and lunged, her warriors would of helped kill me, but she screeched a quick, "THIS BITCH IT MINE TO KILL!"

I counter attacked by sidestepping and lunging at her side while she was in the air. We rolled, but I had the advantage and landed on top, I clawed at her stomach while she tried to claw at me, and the fog began to settle.

I set the spark ablaze and the fog melted, somewhat. It lurked at the edges of my mind fire, but it just needed to stay there for this battle. Fangstar was a skilled fighter, I needed my wits about me, not brute strength. I thought all this as she managed to slide from my grasp.

I turned at her and hissed. I lunged at her and took a quick swipe at her throat, no time for batting at her or weakening her, that would just weaken me. I wanted to last beyond this battle and take out a few ThunderClan warriors. She dodged and my claws impaled on her shoulder, the fog at the edges of my mind grew stronger. It wanted me to like this, but I refused to.

"I should of slain you were you stood that day!" She snarled, blood dripping from the deep gash in her shoulder.

I meet her gaze with mine, my eyes chips of yellow ice. "Oh, but then the secret would have escaped, the secret that all clans are actually corrupt and cruel." I said.

She screech and lunged at me again, but purposefully landed short and surprised me with a swipe to my throat. I ducked and shot forward, head butting her chest and forcing her to stumble back. As she regained balanced I hooked my paws around her forelegs and pulled forward, forcing her to faceplant in the dirt.

She rolled on he back as I tried to jump on her back, and sunk her claws into my stomach. I untangled myself from her claws and she stood up.

"We trained you well, to bad you didn't die in a training accident!" She meowed furiously.

"Then who would you hate, if not I?" I meowed sweatly.

"I will kill you!" She meowed and ran at me.

Last second I held up an unsheathed paw and her neck ran into it. I shoved deeper and twisted it. "No." I whispered. "I will kill you." And pulled out my paw, making sure to do max damage so her StarClan given lives couldn't heal it.

Her clan screeched and attacked, I put out the struggling fire and thanked it. It didn't occur to me I was thanking my own mind. The fog took over and my vision grew as red as the blood I had just spilt. A few minutes after I blacked out, and then in a sense, blacked out again.

"Greetings Redstar. You have made a wise decision." Came the voice of Brambleberry.

I turned around. "Do I go back, or did they shred my body?" I asked, accepting any fate.

"You can go back." He purred. "You are such a good warrior, and leader."

I was surprised by his praise. "Why praise me? I am a monster, monsters do not deserve praise as such." I said. "The only praise I deserve is good fighter, and I am such a good fighter because I am a monster."

He shook his head. "You are no monster, I know you think you are because of the blood you spill, but you are no monster. The twolegs are the monsters, for they messed with your mind, Heatherstar is a monster for he kills innocent kits on purpose. Would you ever hurt a kit on purpose?" He pressed. "Or mentally destroy a cat so bad she couldn't be around others without danger?"

I looked down, realizing what he was getting at. "Well no… I fight because I must, because I defend the innocent. During the battle I like it, but afterwards I don't like it, no hate it. Only monsters like it, and Fangstar likes it doesn't she?"

He nodded satisfied. "She is the true monster, and so are the others. The future only gets a little better from here. Now return, your clan and kits need you." He meowed.

I gasped, the faint light of the full moon entering the camp. I growled with fury, this was a full moon, right after a peaceful gathering! How dare they attack on such a day, this day of peace? I lunged up, and remembering the dead elders words I rush into the hidden tunnel, one smell reach my nose that wasn't DarkClan. It was Fangstar's.

I saw her tearing at the brambles. "Let me in, I will her kill kits for the lives she took!" Fangstar screeched.

"Impossible!" I gasped. "I, I ruined your throat beyond repair!"

She turned around, grinning bloodily, suggesting she had killed someone, or badly wounded. I looked in the dark and saw Claw the elder. He was struggling, but couldn't move. That brave brave elder, I would avenge him!

"Rest now Claw." I choked out. "This cat is dead!"

"One last life, to take you out, and I will!" She snarled.

I yelled and went to lunge at her, but I forgot about the low roof and brained myself on it. Falling the ground dazed she pounced on me. I felt blood slowly trickle from the new cut on my head, and the burning pain of her claws piercing my flesh. I was unable to move, the tunnels, they were too narrow. Quickly I grew weaker when.

"Mama?" Came the mew from Venomkit. "Mama, stay strong!" She cried from behind the brambles, trying to get through them but unable to.

Her voice lent me strength, this cat wanted to murder my kits! I would stop her, even if it took the rest of my eight lives. Those were my kits! I summoned the last scraps of my strength and threw her up towards the roof. Her head hit a sharp part of it and she feel like dead weight.

I laughed weakly, she was dead for good now, right? No, I was wrong. She struggled up, but I couldn't move, I was used up. The flame in my mind though, it was bright, it was so bright that the fog had fled for good, there was no fog. Just clarity, ha clarity in my dying moments.

Fangstar stumbled over, breathing hard, and I knew she didn't have much left either. She was going to bleed out here, or the brain damage I did to her would end her. "Must kill!" She snarled.

I looked her straight in the eye as the paw came to my throat, right now I was fearless. "I look at a monster."

Even as dying, Fangstar ravaged her throat inflicting worse damage than the now still Redstar had done to her. Redstar was unable to fight back, or defend herself, and Fangstar just kept clawing even when there was no chance of Redstar coming back. She clawed until dead.

Two dead she-cats lay before me, but I, I had to survive. I had to tell the stories and protect the kits in case more cats followed them. I couldn't move though, I was old and a bone was broken. The kittens cried from behind the bramble barrier. They needed me!

I was a harsh old tom, but at that moment my hard heart broke, broke for the motherless kits, and the other kits who might lose their mother too. Lose their mother, father, and clanmates. I struggled, but I could not comfort them. I took Redstars last advice to me, and slept, but I did not go into the forever sleep she feared I might enter. I couldn't do that, not with the kits crying behind me.

Soon Hawkkit stopped crying for mama, and began to cry for. "Claw!"


	12. Chapter 12: EndPart2, Venomkit's Words

**Thank you all so much for reading this story. If you want me to make a second story I will, and I promise it will be better. Just say the word! Or type it, I can't hear your voice in my head and if I did I would go to the doctor for insanity. I LOVE YOU ALL PLEASE REVIEW! :'D**

It has been half a moon since our mama died. To our relief, mostly Hawkkits, Claw had lived through the horrible ordeal, but his leg healed wrong so he now walked with a limp and it caused him pain every now and then. Our dad had lived, but he was very depressed at the thought of life without my mom, and one day he had just disappeared. Cats whispered that he went to the mountains.

Dustcloud was leader now, and I could care less. Darkpool said I needed to stop thinking so grownup, but how can I? The innocence in me died with my mother, I might only be two moons old, but I felt like 100. I was moms Venomkit, and now I had no mother. Only grownups mothers died, not kits!

I took care of my brothers, but Roaringkitwas strong, and Hawkkit had Claw. Dustcloud took an unusual interest in me, and when I asked why he said that he was taking care of a friends kit, not the old leaders kit. That made me feel better, he was my moms friend, and he was there for me because of that.

With my parents gone I sunk into depression, but it soon disappeared when I realized the clan was my family, and they quoted my mother too. She said that clan was family, and they did make me feel better. I was among cats who loved me for me, because they were family. So even though there was a possibility of both parents living in StarClan, or just one in the mountains, I still had family down here. I had my brothers, and I had my clan.


End file.
